Strange Twist of Fate
by AtlantianDream
Summary: The story of how the future came and knocked some sense into the past! Buffy/Angel, Cordelia/Spike? and more to be revealed!
1. In The Beginning

**Please Read!**

This story is a future fic…that will travel back to the episodes of the show that we all know and love. Of course it will take some time to get there. Right now I'm posting it under **T** rating but the next chapter will more than likely have me place the story under **M** because...well...it's a Buffy fic...it really can't stay teen rated for more than a chapter or two. It takes into account the comic book's in the Buffy timeline as well as Angel. An episode of Supernatural actually gave me confirmation to actually write this. Having not been inspired in a long time I jumped at the opportunity to start my first Buffy fanfiction. Of course to confuse people even more I will be adding my own characters – which I actually have real actresses and actors in mind to 'be' the character, so I will be giving the actor's names as I add their 'character' into the story. **GIVE ME A CHANCE! It's my first Buffy fanfic!**

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><p>Silence.<p>

To some it is golden. Something attained through meditation, striving to reach for that one moment of perfect quiet.

Then there are those who create silence. Who live to create the deadly nothingness that can consume a person with fear.

Those that create the silence have always been hidden in shadow. Allowing the darkness to conceal their presence, to veil their existence to those of the world of sound and light.

As it says in the good book, "and darkness was upon the face of the deep"; until God brought light! Dividing the light from the dark – creating day and night. Allowing a place for the silence and dark to meet, shielding fear from silence to those born of the light.

It has always been – and it will always be.

And it was then that it was.

For it was in the deep that it sprung.

Cast out of heaven and unto the earth Satan took his Kingdom.

It was here it was born.

Evil.

Danger.

And for those who gave it a title, it would be then and forever known as…

The First.

It exists only here.

Bound to this plane and dimension. Without form it has lived for millennium's. Hoping and striving to burst free of the shadows and darkness that have held it back – awaiting for its one moment. Waiting for one small mistake to allow it freedom.

Time did not matter. Patience was its only necessity.

And finally…the day came.

One small error of judgment by one powerful witch. Unleashing a soul from Heaven and bringing it back to the earthly plane.

It was then that it began to stir.

Began to plan for its rise from its prison.

It was simple, too simple for those who could stop it to realize.

Force their hand…and watch as they crumbled under their mistakes.

The Slayer. The Chosen. A being of light and dark that was like none before her being the tool it would use.

And it did. Without them realizing…without them knowing it was all going the way it wanted.

Staging all things to seem as though they had won – that they were making all the right moves.

What fools they were to believe themselves capable of killing it.

It could never be killed. Only bound – as it had been.

For its existence was bound to the creation of the world, and without it…nothing would be.

But humanity could not understand this – **would** never understand.

The Slayer was no different.

So The First appeared…showing itself…revealing its intentions of raising an army…and laughed as it watched the Slayer played her part.

It was perfect…brilliant.

Lead them to act first. Show them a physical adversary. Set the pieces of the game up. Let them think they knew what game they were playing. Align the chessboard just so. Bate them with its queen…making them forget about the lonely pawn…that was just about to reach the other side.

Never had it known such delight then when the Slayer took the Scythe…knowing all too well the moves that would follow.

Unleashing the power of the Slayer to all who could possess it.

And that…was all it wanted.

Odd how something that the Slayer thought would be their solution was truly the floodgate to The First's ultimate goal.

With it's victory it again waited – but longer bound in its prison it drifted. Watched.

Knowing that humanity's ignorance of the balance between all things would cause them to try and bind the one thing that had created all things.

Magic.

And they did…and again it waited.

The witch once more causing the error. A ripple.

The ripple of time allowed an entity to travel back, and it would bring about the fall of all things. Making sure all the pieces were in place.

It was time for the final move… and use the forgotten pawn piece.

Check mate.

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><p><strong><em>Sometime in the not so distant future…<em>**

_It wasn't like she had chosen this existence…she kind of was tricked into it. If it wasn't for Skip she wouldn't be where she was today._

_On a higher plane._

_As a PTB._

_Time ceased to exist._

_As it was most of her 'time' was spent watching to make sure Angel was alright. Of course the others were constantly telling her not to interfere…but Angel was more than just a friend to her. He had always needed her…and she had called in her favors to make sure Angel could take down the Circle of the Black Thorn._

_And even now she watched as he tried to redeem himself from the horrors he had done as Twilight._

"_Something has happened…" A voice sounded around her._

_Cordelia just sighed even though she technically didn't have a physical body._

"_Something is always happening." She replied in a non so excited way._

"_It is something that we have been waiting for – something that we had given up hope for."_

_The words, though cryptic, made Cordelia curious as to what the two voices were talking about._

"_What does that have to do with me? Didn't you take away my ability to help the people that actually _**_need_**_ help?" Cordelia asked the question with her usual attitude._

_One of the voices chuckled._

"_No...we only removed you from helping the wrong person. He wasn't the one that you were destined to help."_

_Cordelia would have scrunched her eyebrows if she could have. The words confusing her._

"_I thought I was suppose to help Angel.."_

_Before she could complete the sentence the other voice interrupted._

"_Angel altered his own destiny – he chose a different path then the natural flow had dictated."_

_It was then that the ex-cheerleader began to become frustrated. Always hating people who talked in riddles – she couldn't get use to the constant need to decipher everything that she was being told._

_Maybe the others sensed her frustration, maybe they had been with her long enough to know that she would explode soon if no one intervened. Whatever the reason another voice came out of the blue._

"_Are you ready for your true destiny Cordelia? Are you ready to see why you were chosen to become a higher being?"_

_It was a question that she had asked herself a million times. A question that she needed answered. One question she couldn't hold back from answering._

"_Yes!"_

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><p><em>The sudden gush of air and sensation startled Cordelia to no end.<em>

_Suddenly she was in a white room, with white columns all around. _

_It took her a second to realize she had a physical shape, but not truly solid. Looking down she could see she was in a white toga but she could see through herself. Almost as though she was a cloud._

"_Don't be afraid."_

_Cordelia looked up to see a man with the same shape as herself._

_He smiled at her._

"_We're in-between Cordelia. Just before one is truly mortal and the spirit that we all are."_

"_And why exactly are we….in-between that is?" Cordelia asked with raised brows._

_The man again smiled and extending his arm out, an invitation to step closer._

"_Let me show you."_

_Not knowing the reason why, Cordelia felt at ease with the man. Questioning him stopped as she allowed herself to step forward and accept his hand._

_Slowly he turned and exposed the small pool that was down the steps that lay behind him._

"_These are the waters of the deep. When one in submerged they may see and watch the mortal realm," The man began._

"_Isn't that what we do without the water?" Cordelia asked with a furrowed brow._

_The man laughed, "Yes it is. But not like this."_

_Turning he faced Cordelia with a smile still on his face._

"_My name is Sin-alshu, Cordelia. And I have had the pleasure of watching you since before you were born."_

_For the first time in a long time Cordelia felt a moment of fear, but soon the feeling vanished as Sin-alshu continued to speak._

_Laughing out loud the man consoled her, "Don't worry. I'm not going to do anything evil or judge you at all. I've only been given the opportunity by The Creator to save what has been lost."_

_Many questions flashed in Cordelia's mind, but she had no time to even ask him a question as he pulled her with him into the steps of the small pool._

"_You see, the pool allows us to see the past, the future, and everything between all dimensions. It is our link to beings feelings, thoughts, actions."_

_The words intrigued her, as she stared into the pool._

"_Why did you bring me here?"_

_Slowly Sin-alshu turned and spoke with such a warmth that Cordelia thought he sounded as though he cared for her._

"_Cordelia…there are many things that those of darkness have caused that we have not been able to stop. Actions which at the time we did not know how to correct, chances that we were not willing to risk in fear of causing more damage than good."_

_Sin-alshu turned his sudden foggy eyes to look into the pool._

"_I have stood by and watched you suffer and triumph, I have stood by and watched another's destiny be stolen. All of these things I have endured…hoping for this one moment to help those who deserve it most."_

_Again Sin-alshu turned as his eyes turned a grayish white and stared into what would be Cordelia's eyes._

"_That's why I've brought you here. To show you what I could not stop – what I could not alter. But now…now you can do what I never could."_

"_I don't understand." Cordelia whispered the words, she was getting freaked out._

"_You will… dive beneath the water, and open your eyes."_

_Turning to look at the water, Cordelia began to see something forming in the water._

"_Is it going to hurt?" Cordelia's voice was small as the memory of pain flashing through her mind and body as visions assaulted her._

"_Pleasure, pain, love, hate…you'll feel all of it. Just open your eyes, it will seem like just a moment." Sin-alshu's voice soothed the sudden fear, and the swirl of colors in the water called to Cordelia._

_Closing her eyes, Cordelia let go of Sin-alshu's hand, and dove into the pool._

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><p><em>It was like a movie playing in front of her eyes.<em>

_She saw them all._

_Darla._

_Liam. _

_The man he had been. His family. The way he became Angelus. The sickening end to his family._

_Druscilla. _

_Cordelia saw the sweet innocent little girl she had been. Saw how Angelus had taken away her body, her mind. Saw the demon that she became._

_She watched the killing, the raping, the torturing…she witnessed every horrific moment._

_And then a little baby being born. _

_It didn't make sense to her. _

_How after all that destruction this one beautiful moment._

_Then she watched the baby grow, saw the baby become a boy, saw him struggle to become a man._

_Saw the heartache he went through, heard the words that would lead to his death._

_Cordelia watched as secrets were revealed to her in each and every detail of who this man would become, what exactly he meant. Watched him learn that his heart meant nothing to those around him._

_Watching his existence she felt his pain, felt all his emotions. It shocked her to know just how deeply he felt things, How his brain worked. How much he wanted and needed love._

_Then she watched as he arrived to the place that would ultimately lead to the reason he would become more than anyone would expect._

_All of it was second by second for Cordelia. _

_Buffy, Willow, Xander, Tara, Giles, Anyanka, even herself._

_But she saw it through everyone's eyes. _

_Felt evryone's emotion. _

_But above all…HIS were the strongest feelings. _

_Emotions that she thought he could never feel, emotions that were so strong she cried for him._

_Then she watched what she had not known. _

_Watched the death of the slayer…and the resurrection. Watched him crumble and be built up again. _

_Witnessing what would happen between the two and what in the end would lead to another souled vampire._

_Witnessed as he saved the world. All for Buffy._

_Suddenly she felt the gush of air again…and suddenly realizing what she was seeing was happening in that moment._

_Cordelia didn't know how she knew it was happening at that moment...she just did._

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><p><em>A second later from jumping into the water, she shot up gasping, tears mingling with the water.<em>

_"How could she..."_

_"It wasn't her." Sin-alshu immediately replied. "That is why I have brought you here! It is the reason you must go back!"_

_Cordelia couldn't stop the sensation of wanting to help him - not after what she witnessed. Yet what she had seen blew everything that she thought to be true literally 'out of the water'._

_"Is it just me or is he..."_

_Sin-alshu immediately cut her off, "It is what I have been waiting for. I have waited over Eight thousand years for this moment. But I can not help him..."_

_"But I can." Cordelia finished._

_Sin-alshu sadly smiled at her. "You helped Angel..."_

_He didn't need to say anything else. Cordelia understood now._

_"You will still be one of us. But you won't be able to return for a very long while." Sin-alshu explained as Cordelia continued to cry._

_"You must be strong for him. We weren't prepared for this..."_

_The words were left hanging in the air. Both trying to grasp what had happened._

_"You know..." Cordelia's whisper finally broke the silence, "it's true what they say."_

_Sin-alshu crinkled his brow, asking a question with just the motion._

_Cordelia looked up into Sin-alshu's eyes as tears continued to flow down her ghost like face._

_"_**_Beauty_**_ did kill the beast."_

_A teary smile was his agreement._

_"Close your eyes." Sin-alshu whispered._

_Slowly Cordelia lowered her head and allowed her tears to fall into the water as she closed her eyes._

_"Go to him..."_


	2. 2 Years 4 Months

**Author's Note: I've moved this story to M because of the content in this chapter and believe that I couldn't get around it. Please be warned that this contains Mature content! Hopefully you will be shocked with the way this story suddenly goes! Original character is of course mine...and more will be showing up in a few chapters! After this chapter REVIEW PEOPLE! GIMME GIMME GIMME!**_  
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><p><em>2 Years and 4 months later...<em>

Cordelia was slowly trying to leave the room as quietly as possible.

Trying to make no sound at all in a dead quiet house was not as easy as some would think.

Just as she was making it through the door, the front door opened very noisily and stumbling and loud cursing was very clearly heard.

Suddenly a small voice behind her let her know that her 'work' was shot to hell.

Turning around as the very male voice in the distance began to yell for her, she approached the wide eyed person behind her, ignoring for the time being the very exasperated man in the distance.

Cordelia let out a very big sigh as she smirked down at the person that she had been trying to let fall asleep.

"Well…it looks like Daddy is not smart enough to know you would be napping…" Letting out another sigh she placed her hands on her waist, "which means we're going to have to keep you up extra late so you can sleep through the night."

The child which was now standing up in her crib looked up with a index finger in her huge smiling mouth at Cordelia and let out a little 'heh'.

Cordelia shook her head in exasperation. Finally she reached out her hands and the little girl immediately reached up to be lifted out of the crib, another sigh leaving her as she settled the little girl on her hip.

"I soo don't have the energy to be chasing you around."

"Yeah.." The little girl said as she settled against Cordelia's side, again placing the same finger into her mouth.

Cordelia smiled as the bundle in her arms placed her other hand in the hair that was long enough, and cascading down Cordelia's shoulders, to get her little fingers to grip on.

"Maybe we can get Daddy to chase you around instead of me. God knows he always weasels his way out of enough things."

The little girl smiled hugely like her father, her eyebrows shooting up, amusement lighting up the little girls green eyes.

"Dada!"

Cordelia smiled as an idea occurred to her.

"Maybe Dada can play dress up with you!" Cordelia said as a huge smile split her face at the very idea.

"Prery!" The little girl said around her finger.

Cordelia nodded. "Yes! Very Pretty!"

"CORDELIA!"

Cordy's eyes shut and her head fell back in defeat. The little one letting out another 'heh' laugh at the drama.

"WHAT?" Cordelia yelled back.

"I CAN' 'OLD THESE BOXES MUCH LONGER!"

Cordelia straightened as her brows furrowed.

"Pressy!" The little girl exclaimed. Within seconds she was trying to break free of Cordelia's hold and was halfway to the door before Cordelia scooped her up once more.

"Let's see what Daddy brought us!" She said as she pushed open the door and began to walk towards the front door.

"Yeah…" The little girl agreed, as again her finger was back in her mouth.

As she got closer she could hear the mumbled curse words that were a constant stream out the man's mouth.

Not able to help herself, she smiled as she held in her laughter at the words, then cleared her throat – not wanting the baby to hear the bad words.

"Cordelia 'elp me 'fore I…"

"DADA!"

The boxes then clattered all to the floor, revealing behind them one very upset looking Brit.

"Aw bloody 'ell!"

Cordelia just titled her head with one lifted brow as she looked at the mess that now lined the entrance way.

"Uh-oh!" The baby girl said around her finger.

Looking up at Cordelia with his own brow lifted, he began to speak.

"Couldn't get 'er down?"

That's when Cordy plastered a fake smile on her face.

"Guess who had just fallen asleep when you stomped in like a elephant in a china shop!"

Letting his head fall back he groaned at his stupidity.

"DADA!" The baby exclaimed and reached for her father as Cordelia tried not to drop her, but deliver her into her father's outstretched arms.

Quickly grabbing his little girl, he began to litter her chubby little cheeks with noises kisses.

" 'Ow's me litl' princess!"

"Dada pay…Dada pay…"

Cordelia smiled.

"I told her you'd play dress up with her."

The smile quickly fell from his face as the munchkin in his arms and the woman before him let out a chuckle.

"No! Dada won't play dress up!" He said in mild horror.

The little girls smiling face fell like her father's. Immediately she pouted and her eyes took on the wounded puppy dog look.

"Pease!"

Immediately his eyes widened as he stared at his little girl's face.

"POUTY LIP!" Swooping down he began to bite her lips to try and get her to laugh, but instead his little girl continued to beg him…which brought him quickly to his knees and he buckled under his little girls request.

"Pease?" She exclaimed one last time.

Letting out a sigh he said, "Fine! Anya angel gets 'er wish!"

Cordelia tried to stop her laugh, but it sputtered out.

"Oi!" The man looked up with a glare.

"William The Bloody getting dressed up and playing with his nineteen month old daughter…where'd I put that camera again?" Cordelia turned as if she were going to go find said camera.

Before she had a chance to move any further, William grabbed Cordelia by the arm and yanked her into his embrace.

"You…" leaning over he then nipped Cordelia's lips, "are mos' definitely goin' to pay for this."

Cordelia couldn't help herself, she slowly smiled at him, showing him the emotions that he made her feel. Slowly she gave him a kiss that could shatter the coldest hearts.

Anya made her little 'heh' laugh as she watched the scene. Of course both then attacked little Anya with kisses and Anya squealed in delight and fake horror as they did so.

Pulling away from Anya she again turned and gave William a quick kiss.

"Move it or lose it! I doubt Anya is going to wait until you clean up this mess so…"

Before she could finish the sentence someone cleared their throat from the open doorway.

It wasn't really a shock to see who stood there, but more along the lines of embarrassing of maybe getting caught physically showing emotions in front of them.

Nonetheless William was the first one to speak the person's name.

"Dawn…"

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><p>Dawn glared at the 'couple' in front of her, as little Anya played between the two.<p>

Dawn wasn't a little girl anymore, but the sight she had walked in on caused her jaw to tick in anger and her arms to cross to hold it in.

After everything...she couldn't believe that Cordelia Chase was making house with Spike. It totally blindsided her. Never in a million years since over two years ago would she have expected to walk in on the both of them kissing, and looking like they had done more then just that.

It disgusted Dawn, and at the same time felt betrayed more then all those years ago by Spike.

Not just betrayed for herself...but for Buffy as well. Yet Dawn couldn't really even allow herself to feel betrayed and jealous of Spike.

" 'ere to 'ang out wit' the little bit?" William finally spoke, playing with the dolls his daughter was handing him and watching his little girls excitement at just playing dolls with him.

"Yeah...she's my niece Spike! No matter what she'll always be that." Dawn said the words with the anger she felt, seeming to bite every word.

William winced as Dawn said his name. He wasn't Spike anymore. At least not since Anya came into his life.

"We know that! Did we ever stop you from seeing her before? No! In fact if I remember correctly William was the one..." Cordelia had always kept her mouth shut in front of Dawn, out of a request from William that Dawn not know about certain details, and so she had. But she could feel that Dawn was preparing for something, like trying to take Anya away from William. And her.

Cordelia had faced many horrors in her time, but nothing had ever hurt as bad as losing Connor. She wasn't about to let the same thing happen with Anya. Not with out a major fight...and even then Cordelia wouldn't give in with out kicking and screaming. But William cut her off before she could really let into Dawn.

"I'd never keep her away from you." William said in the most upper class English accent that had ever left his mouth. Then he looked up with those piercing blue eyes of his and stared into Dawn's wide sky blue ones.

"I've wanted all of you to be in her life...just some of you didn't want that privilege." Again he said the words in proper english, making the accusation all the more stinging.

Dawn winced at the dig at Buffy. But Dawn couldn't even defend Buffy.

God knows how many times Dawn had tried to argue and reason with her sister about Anya. But it always fell on deaf ears, or just the one time, a huge fight ending in Buffy locking herself in her room for a week straight.

Like usual...everything was so messed up, and she couldn't do anything to stop it. But there was one option that no one had dared to try. Something that Buffy had made very clear she didn't want.

Dawn looked at little Anya with her blondish brown curls, porcelain white skin that offset the slightly bubble gum colored lips. High cheek bones that were still hidden under plump chubby baby cheeks making her big round eyes with long lashes seem almost as if the little girl was more of an angel than human.

"I just wanted to take her to the park. There's a carnival right now...I thought she'd like going on the horse on the carousel." Dawn lied without missing a beat.

The word horse perked up Anya's interest in the grown up conversation.

"Horsey!" Anya said as she took her doll with a smile over to Dawn.

Dawn's anger diminished the second Anya came over and sat in her lap with the doll.

Smiling at Anya Dawn placed a kiss on the side of Anya's face.

Cordelia knew that Dawn was lying, but unless William said no - which she doubted he would do - she knew that William would trust Dawn with Anya's life.

"Sure. Jus' call me when you get there. She 'asn't taken a kip all day. Might be a litl'..." William tried to explain.

"I got it." Dawn cut him off. Then she gave her small little smile.

William said nothing...and Cordelia felt a sense of dread for the first time in over two years.

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><p>Cordelia and William were watching Dawn walk down the walk way to her car. William was about to go inside when Cordelia stopped him.<p>

"I think I'm gonna help her get Anya in the car seat. Don't know if Dawn knows how to strap it in. Rather be safe then sorry." Cordelia said while looking up as innocently as she could at William.

William studied her for a few seconds, he knew she was lying. The only reason he knew is because they never really lied to each other. There was no need to. So he could instantly tell that she was hiding something from him.

"Ok."

He said it as he brushed a few strands of her hair back over her shoulder and away from her face.

She smiled a genuine smile at him and quickly pecked his cheeks and then dashed over to Dawn.

Wavering for just a second, William went into the house.

"Dawn!" Cordelia almost yelled the name as she jogged over to the car.

Dawn turned with a tiny inkling of shock as Cordelia made her way over to her.

Cordelia tried not to adopt her infamous attitude, after all, Anya was still in Dawn's arms.

Instinctively Anya reached out for her and neither thought anything of it that Cordelia without hesitation took her into her arms.

"I know you're planning something, and in all honesty I don't care what. Whatever you think of me or William," stopping as she tried to find what she needed to say, " has nothing to do with the decision Buffy made about Anya."

Dawn crossed her arms and took that opposing stance she always took when facing off against someone.

"I don't know what your talking about...and I don't really think Buffy made any 'decisions' when it came to Anya." Dawn said with as much restraint as she could.

Cordelia just shook her head, a discouraged look crossing her features.

"You have no clue about how much of a decision Buffy made when it came to Anya. There's a reason Buffy doesn't want to see her. Try and understand that it's not about us trying to keep Anya from Buffy, it's about trying to give Anya what Buffy decided she couldn't."

Dawn scrunched her eyebrows and let out a huff of annoyance.

"You have no clue what Buff went through! Spike raped her and got her pregnant! Do you have any clue what that..."

"Wait!" Cordelia almost yelled. Quickly moving behind Dawn she placed Anya in the car seat. Shutting the door she whirled on Dawn.

"Is that what Buffy said? Really?" Cordelia then shook her head to try and stop the immediate word of 'bitch' that popped into her head in reference to Buffy. Cordelia straightened up and stared down Dawn eye to eye.

"You know what? I don't care what she said! She gave up all rights to Anya the second she sent Andrew here with Anya in a carrier and a note saying 'Take care of her.' And he **has**! Every day of her life! And he loves her above anything in this universe! So I don't care what **Buffy** said or didn't say! He deserves respect and gratitude for letting you into her life! So whatever you're planning...remember he didn't owe any of you anything, and he still wanted you in her life! And I swear I will do everything in my power to help him keep her!"

Dawn saw the rage in Cordelia's eyes, but for Dawn it didn't matter. Spike had tried once before to rape her sister...and had finally succeeded where he had once failed.

With a face showing disgust Dawn shook her head.

"How can you defend him? I know you never really liked Buffy but..."

Cordelia cut her off immediately. "He helped save the world Dawn! Not once, not twice, hell not three times but FOUR TIMES! And he even did it without a soul for two of them!"

Dawn was about to interject but Cordelia used her trump card. Something that no one but Dawn and Spike would know.

"How many times did he save you while Buffy was dead? How many times was he the one to comfort you while you cried about wanting to take her place? Who was the one there for you?"

Dawn's mouth snapped shut.

"Do you really think he's capable of doing what you said? Do you think that was what he was trying to do to Buffy back in Sunnydale? Did she tell you what happened?"

The questions made Dawn start to doubt herself suddenly. Buffy hadn't told her...Xander had...she had never really asked Buffy. How could she ask her sister that question?

Looking into Dawn's eyes Cordelia saw the doubt suddenly enter them.

Closing her eyes the ex-cheerleader let out a huge sigh, calming herself down.

Opening her eyes she looked into Dawn's eyes.

"Just bring her back to us. She'll always be Daddy's little girl. Neither one of them can stand being away from the other. "

Dawn was shocked and mildly surprised that Cordelia had somehow figured out what Dawn was trying to do. Loving her sister the way she did, Dawn had been preparing herself for the extreme...but looking into Cordelia's scared eyes...she knew that she would bring Anya back. Knowing what it was like to grow up with out a father...she knew she couldn't do that to her niece. No matter what happened that afternoon...she would bring Anya back.

Swallowing and still staring into Cordelia's eyes, "I promise."

"Thank you." Cordelia said in relief.

Watching as Dawn drove away, Cordelia still couldn't shake the sense of dread. Whatever was going to happen...she knew nothing would ever be the same again.

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><p>Author's Note: REVIEW IF YOU WANT MORE!<p> 


	3. Living Nightmare

Author's Note: Come on guys...tell me if you like this or despise it! REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!

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><p>Buffy stared at the couples with children as they walked around the carnival. Children's smiling faces as they played with their parents and enjoyed the carnival.<p>

It was like driving a knife through Buffy's heart. But none of them knew that.

All her mind could do was torment her with thoughts of her baby girl. Of him.

Xander and Willow were walking along side her, trying to get her to laugh or smile. Or at least get a smile that reached her eyes.

Buffy hadn't been the same person since 'the event' almost three years ago.

Buffy had never talked about it. Never mentioned anything about that fateful night.

After all this time she had never explained what had happened, or even how it was possible that she had gotten pregnant.

Neither of them had known that it was Spike's until the day Buffy had started to actually show she was pregnant. Having hidden it for as long as she could.

Then Buffy had told them that she didn't want to see her baby. That she wanted Andrew to find Spike, and bring him the baby.

All of them had been shocked, stupefied. Xander had been livid.

Buffy on the other hand...had been essentially void of any kind of anger. Only sad. But not like all those years ago in Sunnydale. If anything it was unlike anything they had ever seen Buffy go through. And Buffy had DIED! TWICE!

It was on a whole different level. One that neither he, Dawn, or Willow could understand.

While Buffy had been pregnant Xander had taken it upon himself to find out what had happened. It took months...but Xander had tracked him down...and found the one person he had never expected to see.

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><p><em>1 year, 9 months before...<em>

_The door swung open and Xander's jaw dropped._

_Cordelia quickly tried to cover her own shock and crossed her arms._

_"Harris..."_

_Xander's eyebrows furrowed. "Am I missing something? Someone told me that I'd find..."_

_Before he could finish the words Xander saw him approaching them._

_All he could do was react._

_Within a second he was pushing Cordelia out of the way and smashing his fist into Spike's face. Not realizing anything but his anger - not Cordelia screaming or the heat of Spike's skin, the warmth to the blood that had coated his fist, the fact that Spike didn't even fight back...it took Xander hitting him so hard that Spike flew back into the stream of light coming from the uncovered window._

_ Cordelia had been pulling on him and even hitting him, trying to get him to stop...but it took the sight of Spike on the ground, covered in blood, with the sun shining on him to make Xander freeze._

_"STOP IT! YOU'RE KILLING HIM!" Cordelia finally managed one good punch to Xander's midsection. He doubled over almost immediately. The air literally knocked out of him._

_Cordelia hadn't hesitated in running to Spike and tending to his broken nose and bleeding gums._

_Not fully recovered he had looked up and saw Cordelia lift up Spike's shirt...he was yellow and blue everywhere._

_He didn't pay attention to what Cordelia was saying to him...only the fact that Spike wasn't dust...he was alive. He was human._

_Xander tried to think clearly, tried to understand what the hell had happened._

_He came up blank._

_The next thing he knew he was being hit by Cordelia, yelling at him to get out._

_He didn't fight her._

_He left._

_Completely and utterly shocked at what he had just seen. What he had just done._

_Spike was human. And he hadn't even tried to fight back. He had allowed it._

_He hadn't even threatened Spike to stay away from Buffy. Hadn't even said anything about what he had done to Buffy._

_That night Xander had gone home and looked at himself in the mirror. One eye gone and all._

_It was the first night that he realized he didn't want to be the person that he had become.  
><em>

* * *

><p>That had been a long time ago.<p>

He had changed since then.

When Anya had been born...it had changed everything.

Buffy had become cold. Detached from all of them. Even Dawn.

He hadn't known what to do to help her. None of them had.

Even after Angel had come back into the picture...finally trying to make something work with Buffy...she still remained the same.

It was as though even being offered the one thing that she had always wanted, to be with Angel, it made no difference.

Almost two years later, all of them combined in their one goal... and they still couldn't break the stone cold attitude that Buffy had developed.

Even now as they walked by the booths in the carnival, nothing seemed to affect the once vivacious blonde.

Willow and he exchanged a look as they spotted Dawn in the distance...carrying Anya.

Both he and Willow had agreed to Dawn's idea. Knowing how she would react if they had told her what they had been up to...both were suddenly very nervous.

It hadn't been long after Andrew had brought the baby to Spike that they had both received a call from Cordelia.

Shocking both of them with the simple fact that Spike wanted them to be in Anya's life. That despite everything they were Anya's family. Dawn had not hesitated one second with the opportunity to stay in her niece's life.

The first time they had actually seen Buffy's baby was with Spike holding her in his arms. Each one of them held her, touched her, marveled at the little girl they held.

The only thing that Spike said that night was when Xander held her. It blew everyone's mind at the simple phrase.

"You can call her Anya."

Xander had stared after Spike as he left them in Anya's room, watching him walk away with a tear falling from his one good eye.

It had humbled Xander. After everything that he had said and done to Spike...he had never expected a gesture like it.

To nickname his daughter after Anyanka. Anastasia Joyce Anne...but it was Anya to all of them.

Except Buffy.

Buffy didn't even know her name...didn't even want to know. Refusing to even have a conversation about her.

That's why the drastic measure of Dawn's plan had been given a go ahead. They just didn't know what else to do to get Buffy to acknowledge Anya. If just made absolutely no sense to them.

Both exchanged worried looks, and then Willow gave Xander her resolve face. He just nodded his head. Hoping that they weren't about to make a huge mistake.

* * *

><p>Dawn was holding Anya in her arms as Anya rambled and played with Dawn's long hair. Dawn couldn't help but respond to Anya's gibberish. Anya had been talking almost non stop since she started to talk, and like her father, it was almost impossible to make her stop talking. Almost everything Dawn asked was followed with a cute little 'Yeah!'<p>

Anya had always hated being held by anyone but Spike.

But she was fast on her unstable baby legs.

Carrying her was a way of keeping her within arms reach...because if you didn't watch out...she was out the door!

Dawn loved her niece. Anya looked like the perfect mixture of Buffy and Spike.

Her beautiful blondish blonde hair was in two pig tails with little pink bows. Wearing a cute little white and pink poke-dot dress. Pink sandal shoes with white socks adorning her feet.

Dawn had picked everything out to make Anya as cute as possible.

Making Anya comfortable with Buffy was going to be the hardest part. It was something that Dawn had been fearing in the back of her mind. That somehow Anya would be her stubborn self and decide she didn't like Buffy.

But as Dawn looked down at the little girl who always stuck her little finger in her mouth...with her father's little smirk...she knew that one or the other would eventually be smitten.

Seeing Buffy and the others in the distance Dawn shifted Anya in her arms and started to make her way through the parking lot and towards the crowd.

Then before she could make it in to the gates of the carnival, six figures stepped out and surrounded her.

"What a cute little baby..."

* * *

><p>Buffy didn't notice Dawn, but the all to familiar tingle. Her eyes were scanning the crowd as she moved through it. Trying to identify the direction that the baddies were in.<p>

A scream from the other side of the Carnival and a baby crying startled nearly everyone. Buffy quickly pushed her way between the suddenly screaming crowd as whatever had happened caused them to start fleeing in fright.

"BUFFY!"

It wasn't Dawn's scream that caused her heart to jump...it was the child screaming.

Something inside her reacted to the sound and within seconds found herself in front of five vampires as they were trying to grab the baby screaming in Dawn's arms. The growling of the vampires increased in volume as Dawn doused the area around them with holy water with a little vial she kept on her, frantically trying to keep the vampires at bay.

The baby in her arms screaming and huge crocodile tears were streaming down her face.

But they were too close, and one managed to grab the baby.

The look on the baby's face.

Her baby's face.

She just knew.

Not knowing how, but within a second she had dusted the vamp and grabbed the baby, quickly moving with the baby in her arms and staking the four within seconds.

Anya continued to cry and scream, but Buffy finally realized what she was screaming. Who she was screaming for.

"DADA!DADA!DADA!"

She was struggling to get out of Buffy's grip, and Buffy's heart felt like it had been ripped out.

Dawn had fallen on the ground and remained their as her heart continued to race, watching as Buffy held a screaming and crying Anya.

Dawn saw the horror in Buffy's face, saw her pain in her green eyes. For the first time in so long...she was seeing her sister again. Seeing the emotional person that Buffy was, it was better than seeing no emotion at all.

But Buffy continued to just stare at the squirming baby in her arms, until she realized that the her little girls heart beat was waay to fast.

Without thought Buffy adjusted the baby in her arms forcing her to put Anya's screaming mouth next to her ear. Then Buffy held her tightly and began to rock and 'shhh' the baby. Walking back towards Dawn's car Buffy rocked the baby and began to murmur soothing words. And without realizing it she was kissing her baby girls cheeks, caressing her back as she moved.

Finally Willow and Xander were a few short feet away from Dawn and came to an abrupt stop as they watched Buffy as Dawn seemed to be transfixed in doing.

It wasn't long before Anya was asleep in her mother's arms, but Buffy continued to rock her and kiss her little face.

Slowly the others made their way over to her.

"Is she ok?" Dawn asked as quietly as she could.

Buffy didn't even look at Dawn, just her little girls sleeping tear streaked face.

"She's ok." Buffy answered distractedly.

Xander braced himself and was about to try and explain what Buffy had already figured out.

"Buffy..."

Whirling her head around the Slayer stared daggers at Xander.

"Don't!"

It was said with such venom that none of them said a word.

Turning her eyes toward Dawn she issued a order.

"Open the door."

Dawn shook herself and looked on the ground for her purse, then fished out her keys to open the car door.

Buffy tried to brace herself, she had known long ago that if she ever held her daughter...she could never let her go. But...Buffy knew she couldn't keep her. Her greatest nightmare had happened tonight...the one reason that she wanted her daughter as far away from her as possible, and it had happened the night she met her daughter. But as she placed her baby into the car seat as gently as possible, and she finally had the chance to really look at her, Buffy saw how much she looked like him. Her beautiful cheeks, her skin, even the curls in her hair.

The tears formed in her eyes as she felt the lump in her throat.

Buff leaned over and kissed her little girls forehead, even as she let a few tears flow. Unconsciously Buffy counted her little fingers as she maneuvered her arms into the straps of the car seat. Even after she finished she couldn't help but kiss her again.

"What's going on?"

Everyone turned and saw Angel standing behind them.

Buffy only looked at him for a second before turning to look at the miracle before her.

Swallowing the lump that still remained in her throat, she slowly exited the car and softly closed the door.

"Is that her?" Angel asked softly. His eyes were riveted to the car.

Buffy said nothing as she sniffled and wiped away a tear. Dawn was the one to nod her head at Angel.

Angel stiffened.

"Is she ok?"

"She's fine." Buffy whispered.

But she could have been hurt. It was the thought that remained in her head.

"What happened? One second we see you walking towards us...the next you're almost vamp food!" Xander asked in his own unique way.

"They were just suddenly there. I mean...they just morphed and started to grab Anya out of my arms."

Buffy winced at the name, her brow furrowing.

The question of if that was what Spike had named their daughter reverberating in her head. But the actually words that Dawn spoke suddenly jarred her back.

"Wait...you mean they tried to grab you." Buffy quickly tried to correct her sister.

Dawn turned and the look of fear that passed over her face made Buffy shiver. The realization that these vampires were there for her daughter making her almost buzz with immediate fear and concern. And Buffy hadn't felt the sensation in soo long...that she lashed out.

"WHY did you bring her HERE?"

Even Angel stepped back at the rage in Buffy's voice.

"I told you I didn't want her ANYWHERE near ME! SHE COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED DAWN! DO YOU REALIZE THAT?"

Everyone was stunned at Buffy's outburst. All the anger that they had been expecting after conceiving Anya was instead coming out when Anya was put in danger.

"Buffy calm down..." Angel tried but Buffy's eyes made him start short.

"THIS is WHY I knew I couldn't keep her! With me she'll always be in danger! Don't you understand that?"

But Dawn wasn't paying attention to Buffy, she was looking at the small piles of dust around them. And something slowly occurred to her.

Dawn looked up into Buffy's eyes.

"How many of them were there?"

Buffy shook her head, thinking that Dawn was trying to distract her. But Dawn was suddenly the one agitated.

"BUFFY! HOW MANY WERE THERE?" Dawn's raised voice naturally started to shriek.

Instantly Buffy tried to remember how many moves...how many stabs to the heart.

"Five." She answered.

Dawn suddenly felt her blood go cold.

"There was six..." Dawn whispered.

Immediately Angel morphed and scented the air.

"One got away."

Willow immediately put the words out into the world.

"He's going to tell everyone that you have a daughter."

"He can easily track her by her scent...I can smell her tears all over the place." Angel gave his own bad news.

Buffy realized how fast the escalating danger her daughter was in almost immediately.

With her worst nightmare becoming a reality she realized she had to do the one thing she had been dreading after all these years.

"We have to tell Spike she's in danger."

With that Buffy entered Dawn's backseat and sat beside her little girl, placing the blanket that had been on her seat over her little girl and the pacifier that her little mouth was absently sucking for into her mouth.

Everyone watched this with marvel and almost awe. It had been the last thing that they had all suspected.

"Ok...just so I can recap this...Buffy didn't want Anya in her life - not because of whose daughter she is...but because Buffy thought she couldn't protect her..." Xander began.

"And we were stupid enough to actually not think of that...and actually almost caused the very thing she feared to happen." Willow finished for Xander.

"We are so not good friends." Xander summed up the way he felt about what had happened with the one sentence.

Xander didn't realize just how accurate his words were about to become.

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><p>Author's Note: REVIEWS! Give them if you want more!<p> 


	4. Staying and Walking Away

**Author's Note: Tell me what you think of this chapter! REVIEW!  
><strong>

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><p>"'ank! I tol' you not t' worry! Dawn knows 'ow t' take care 'f Anya. 'f anythin' she spoils 'er too much. 'm sure by the end 'f the night she'll be full 'f cotton candy and the such."<p>

Hank Summers smiled at William as Cordelia went about clearing the table.

"I know my Dawny is a good kid. No need to convince me." Hank took a swig of his beer as he looked back at William.

"She's not a kid 'ank! Dawn's a woman now...as much as I 'ate to admit it."

Cordelia and Hank stole a glance and smirk together.

"I didn't know you were so protective of her. That's good to know." Hank said as he took another drag of his beer.

William looked down at the table cloth and let out a deep breath.

"I love Dawn...like she was me own sis."

Hank couldn't help but like the man. Caring for his grand daughter was one thing, but caring for both of his daughter's...well...Hank didn't know many guys who would care enough to even try to have a relationship with their sister-in-laws. Himself being one of them.

A sadness developed in his eyes.

"I wish I could have been there for them..." Hank whispered the words as he looked away from William.

William let out a huge sigh.

"You were tryin' to protect them. S'not your fault." William tried to ease Hank's pain. But William knew all to well how easily one can blame themselves.

"Believe me...the first time Wolfram and Hart entered into my life...I didn't know exactly how evil they were either." Cordelia shared her experience.

Hank just shook his head.

"I swear I thought they were representing Joyce. I sent them alimony, set up trust funds, I was constantly sending them money! I knew something was wrong when they sent me a restraining order sent from the girls! They kept me from Joyce's **funeral**!" Hanks anger increased as he remembered the feeling of not being able to see for one last time the woman he had never once stopped loving.

"They thought you din't wan' them... I never would 'f come suss you out 'f wasn't for Anya. Wanted you t' know you 'ad a granddaughter. Wan' 'er to 'ave as much family as possible."

Cordelia looked with saddened eyes at William and within seconds was holding his hand in her own.

Hank stared at the man before him. His dark hair had just a tint of blond at the ends, and the slightest bit of gray was starting to be seen in the roots. An older man then he would have thought his daughter attracted to. But the hurt in his voice any time he mentioned Buffy or Dawn...as a father you never think your child to make such huge mistakes...but the fact that for some reason her daughter had let this man get away was beyond him.

It made him realize how his daughter had made the same mistakes that he himself had made. Choosing the wrong person to love. It was obvious within little time that he had made a mistake, but by then Joyce couldn't allow herself to trust him again.

But Joyce had moved on.

And by the looks of the two people in front of him...it looked like Buffy was too late as well.

"Well...did you make it official?" Cordellia asked Hank.

Hank nodded his head and opened the folder that he had next to him.

"I don't understand why you insist on having the become Anya's legal guardians if anything would happen. I've already started a trust for her myself...this time with an average bank! If anything were to happen I don't think even Dawn would protest taking care of her with what you've told me."

William shook his head.

"No. Faith and Robin can protect her in a way that neither I or Dawn could. Believe me."

Hank nodded his head.

"I did some research on her. Apparently she is extremely well off. Apparently an uncle of hers left her his entire estate. I really don't object to you naming her as Anya's guardian - don't misunderstand! She didn't know what to make of me when I talked to her. After I told what you wanted she said that she'd do it...but that she wanted to talk to you this week. I also think it's a good thing that you've involved her in Anya's life from an early start. It was quite intelligent of you William. Faith said that she would protect Anya until her last breath. It seems as if she's very protective of Anya. Loves her a great deal...I just can't understand why Buffy..."

Cordelia quickly cut Hank off. "She made her choice. Now it's up to us to make sure Anya is taken care of the best she can be."

Hank looked into Cordelia's eyes and out of the corner of his eye watch as William caressed her hand with his thumb. Letting out a sigh he realized that she was right.

"Robin read the note you gave me to give to him. After that he asked where to sign. Good man. A good choice if something were to happen.

William nodded his head.

"I know. Know 'e's a good man. Know 'e'd take care 'f 'er 'f somethin' 'appened." William said with certainty.

"Can you explain why you're doing this now? Don't get me wrong...it's the smart thing to do but..." Hank tried to see Williams reasoning.

"No one lives forever 'ank..."

Hank lowered his head and nodded.

"That and I'm kind of forcing him to think ahead. Dawn kind of freaked me out today." Cordelia grudgingly told Hank.

"Is that so? And how pray tell did she do that?" Hank asked with a curious face.

Looking at the table William continued to caress Cordelia's fingers with his thumb.

"I think the lil' bit thinks Buffy should be the one carin' for Anya...and not me."

"Why would she think that? I've only been visiting you for six months and I can honestly say I couldn't ask for a better father for my granddaughter." Hank questioned and praised.

William looked up in shock to Hank, his blue eyes blazing with gratitude.

"You're a good man William. I just wish I understood what had happened between you and Buffy for it to get this bad."

Cordelia squeezed Williams hand as Hank looked over at her.

"No offense Cordelia. But William never really explained what exactly happened between them."

"I's just too personal 'ank. I swear...'f...'f I could..." William tried to explain his reluctance.

"You have to understand William...I don't even know your _family_...where in England you were born...I know nothing about you. Only that for some reason my daughter had a child with you and refused to be in that child's life. And that just isn't my Buffy!" Hank was trying to be as gentle as he could, he really was, but in the end he saw how introverted William became, and how Cordelia's claws emerged.

"Well your daughter used William for sex and then hurt him repeatedly. If anything I think William is just that much more special because of the fact that he still cares for her even after..." Cordelia had been about to let Hank know how 'sweet' his little girl was. About to reveal just exactly what had happened the night Anya was conceived...but William stopped her with a loud...

"NO!"

It startled both Hank and Cordelia.

William grit his teeth with caused the little nerve to visible tick in his face.

"I don't care what she did to me. I don't care about what happened between us. All I care about is that she gave me Anya! She could've..." William was close to tears at the thought of what Buffy could have done, his proper English accent coming out in spades as his emotions ran rapid.

"I may not have been in Buffy's life for a long time," Hank began, "but the little girl I raised would never have kept your daughter away from you."

"Dawn has to know that if we don't have Anya that Faith and Robin would be her legal guardians. Because if anyone is going to try to take Anya away from us...it's going to be her. Buffy may not have kept Anya away...but if anyone could make her think twice it's Dawn, Xander, or Willow." Cordelia explained to Hank.

Hank stared at the couple in front of him. Nodding his head silently in understanding.

"I just want what's best for her." William whispered.

* * *

><p>Buffy was caressing Anya's cheeks with the back of her finger, watching her little girl suck on her pacifier and sleeping soundly. The doll on the seat had been placed under her arm, just in case.<p>

Buffy couldn't believe how big she was. How so little time had passed and she was so big.

Buffy tried to memorize everything about her...knowing that she had to give her up in just a short while. That she would have to walk away from her child again and him.

And him.

Everything in her told her to be strong. That no matter what she had to protect them both.

Because she loved them. With everything in her.

But after what she had done...

"Are you ok Buffy?" Dawn asked as she looked in the rear view mirror.

Buffy for the first time in so long, answered honestly.

"No."

Willow watched Buffy with sad eyes. She couldn't imagine what Buffy was going through. Reaching out she placed her hand on Buffy's shoulder.

"You know we'll do everything we can to keep her safe Buffy."

But Buffy knew better...knew that this day had been coming. She had just hoped it would come in the distant future. Not now when her daughter couldn't even defend herself. When magic no longer existed because she had been emotional enough to destroy the seed which had bound magic to our earth.

Willow had been right.

She hadn't thought about the consequences to her actions.

Now when her little girl needed it the most...Buffy couldn't protect her with what she was...supernatural.

Magic that could have cloaked her little girl from danger, or a protection spell, or...so many possibilities all removed because of what she had done. Because of who she had been with.

"Where's Angel?" Buffy asked suddenly. Remembering that he had been with them as her thoughts had brought her to him.

"He's in the car with Xander. They're trailing us...just in case." Dawn answered.

Buffy nodded her head, even though Dawn wasn't looking at her.

She had been with Angel for almost a year now. They were together, but they hadn't consummated their relationship since the whole Twilight ordeal. If anything Buffy was less affectionate then anyone had ever thought she could be. But it was better this way.

Angel couldn't have his one moment of pure happiness...and neither could Buffy.

"That's a good idea." Buffy whispered, her eyes and hands still trying to memorize her baby girl's face.

So many thoughts and questions about her running through Buffy's mind. Her instinctual mothering coming out in a sudden burst after the idea of someone hurting her daughter.

Her daughter.

Her miracle.

Something given to her after the most horrible thing that she had ever done.

Her greatest sin had given her the greatest gift anyone could receive.

Buffy leaned over and kissed her babies cheeks again.

How could she walk away again?

* * *

><p>After the almost somber mood at dinner, Cordelia started to tell Hank about what Anya was doing these days. How much she was talking, how fast she was running around, the trouble she got into.<p>

They sat in the living room with coffee discussing Anya's little deviant side and laughing at the little girls antics.

"You should have seen her! Flour was everywhere! And all I got from scolding her was her father's famous raised eyebrow and a huge smile." Cordelia was laughing as she remembered the incident like it happened yesterday.

All of them were chuckling at the image of the little girl covered in flour.

"Has she made any friends at the preschool? I know there was a little boy there that you told me his father was an old acquaintance?" Hank asked with a smile.

"Yeah, Kelden! Cute litl' kid. 'e's 'bout five now. 'bout to go to kindergarten, but 'e don't want t' leave Anya behind. Protects 'er 'e does." William explained with a little twinkle in his eye and a smirk on his face.

"And how do you know him?" Hank tried to pry a little more information about William as much as he could whenever he could.

For a second both Cordelia and William shared a glance before Cordelia began to explain.

"Actually...I knew Oz...Kelden's father from Sunnydale. He use to date Willow Rosenburg. You know... Buffy's best friend..." Cordelia hoped that he didn't know more than that about that whole bad love triangle that she had endured.

"Ohh! Yes. Red head! Real innocent type." Buffy's father seemed to be remembering meeting the girl or the description of her.

Then Cordelia Chase displayed in her infamous attitude in a way that shocked both men.

"PaLEEZE! No one is more of a tramp then that goody little two shoes."

Both men were quiet for a time, watching as Cordelia relieved some old hostility herself.

"Um...wha' I think Cordelia means 's that Red 'as some darker tendencies then one would assume."

Cordelia tried to reign in her old hatred, and all it took was William turning her chin towards him and planting a small kiss on her lips.

"Don't think 'bout it sweets. Long gon' and moved on you 'ave." William whispered.

Cordelia slowly gave him another kiss. Turning back to Hank Cordelia apologized and instead began to thank Hank.

"I really do have to thank you for helping us get the house. We were constantly having to move from apartment to apartment because of Spike not having a social or a license. And...well...I didn't really have any 'credit' to even rent in a descent neighborhood."

"Yes well...you never did explain why he didn't have those necessities...but I wasn't about to let my granddaughter live in the streets. And I hate to admit that I had considered talking you into letting Anya live with me...but I'm not as young as I use to be. She deserves to have parents that can actually keep up with her."

William nodded to the man.

"Know you went on faith t' trust me. But I 'ope I prove meself to you. Not a freeloader. I'll buy the 'ouse from you soon as I can. Jus' got a professor at Juilliard t' give me a job writing for 'im. Says I've talent that he might talk with a judge friend 'f 'is that might get me a Social Security Card." He wanted his daughters grandfather to know he wasn't a deadbeat. At least not anymore.

"I'll provide for Anya. I swear it!" William said with confidence and conviction.

"I know you will." Staring into William's eyes Hank couldn't shake the sense that William had more experience in life that what he led on. Something in him was telling him that William was keeping secrets from him to actually protect him. It was an odd sensation. Looking into a man's eyes and seeing their spirit in their eyes.

"Would anyone like a refill of coffee?" Cordelia asked as she stood up with her and William's mug.

"Please pet." William asking politely as Hank nodded his head with a 'yes please' to accept the offering.

"Actually William, can you help me bring in the cookies that me and Anya made? I'm sure Hank would love to see his granddaughters abilities at baking." All three of them chuckled again as William stood up and followed Cordelia to the kitchen.

Hank let out a soundless laugh as he watched the two walk away. He knew soon William and Cordelia would move their relationship to the next stage. If not marriage then engagement was sure to come.

He could see it in their eyes. That look, the link that they seemed to have that had just started to form when he found out he even **had** a granddaughter.

Again he laughed as he remembered the huge fights he would walk in on when he would come to visit at the house, wanting to make sure that they had everything they needed. As time went on the yelling continued...but the touches and kisses had begun. At first Hank had been a little uncomfortable at the sight, not really knowing how to handle watching the father of his granddaughter kissing a woman that wasn't his daughter.

Letting out a little sigh he just hoped that Buffy had at least found someone that was as loving as William. His little girl deserved it after dealing with his ex-wife's death and the raising of his youngest.

A knock at the door was heard in the distance and without thought Hank stood up and traveled to the front door.

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> COME ON! IF YOU HAVEN'T REVIEWED BEFORE THIS IS THE CHAPTER TO DO IT! REVIEW!


	5. What's Going On?

**Author's Note: _Come on guys! Bring it with the reviews!_**_  
><em>

* * *

><p>When they finally reached the house Buffy was kind of shocked.<p>

It was in a really well to do neighborhood. Impressive to say the least.

And totally not Spike's style.

Spike never was much for money or wealth, he loved his crypt and the dark.

Thinking about it though, she realized that he couldn't raise Anya in a crypt.

He would have changed for her.

Exiting the car Angel was right there almost instantly.

"Hey, are you ok?" Angel asked in his concerned voice, and his eyes looking for all the world like a puppy looking miserably at his mistress.

Buffy looked up into his eyes and slowly let a smile come to her face even though it was completely fake. But he didn't know that.

"I'm ok."

Angel leaned down and gave her a small kiss. One she didn't really return, just taking what Angel gave instead.

She loved Angel. Loved him for a long time. Never thought for one second that that one fact could ever change.

But it had.

It did.

But she did love him, but not like that. Not anymore.

And she could see it in his eyes...it was the same for him.

But this is what they had fought so many years for, it was what they could have now.

It wasn't the same. Both of them had fallen in love with someone else.

They just couldn't be with those people.

One because of death, the other because...because of what Buffy had done.

Sounds of the car door opening behind Buffy caused her to turn.

"Dawn wait!" Buffy commanded and freezing Dawn in place.

Quickly Buffy walked around the car and moved between Dawn and the open car door.

Bending down into the car Buffy slowly removed Anya's belt and moved her doll aside. Scooping her up into her embrace and settling Anya's little head on her shoulder.

Buffy couldn't help but look at her daughter and feel all the love burst in her being. Buffy leaned her head over to just breathe in her daughter's sweet scent.

Buffy could fight many things, but not the instinct to kiss her daughter's red cheeks again.

Anya let out a huge sigh and she continued to sleep on while sucking on her pacifier.

Smiling at the sight of her little girl Buffy felt the twist in her heart at what she had to do.

"She looks a lot like you." Angel said as he smirked at the mother and daughter.

It caused a frown to form on Buffy's face.

"She looks like him." Buffy murmured. And again she kissed Anya's cheeks.

"Yeah well...no one's perfect." Angel said it as a joke, to lighten the mood. But Buffy didn't laugh.

"She is to me." Buffy said so quietly that even Angel had trouble hearing her.

"You know Buffy, if you don't want to do this it's ok. Me and Willow can talk to him about it and explain..." Xander was trying to spare her.

But that just wasn't Buffy's style.

"No. She's our daughter...and he has a right to hear it from me." Buffy said it softly so she didn't disturb the sleeping bundle in her arms.

"Are you sure?" Willow asked with a concerned look.

Buffy just nodded her head.

Dawn said nothing as her thoughts were with the couple inside the house. She hadn't been able to share her discovery with Xander or Willow before the attempt to take Anya. Not knowing what to expect, Dawn knew that what was about to happen was not going to be peaceful. Probably anything but.

Buffy let out a huge sigh and Anya snuggled down into her, Buffy braced herself. Not having seen him in over two years, her stomach felt like it was in knots.

Dreading this moment for so long...it was here now. God help her she didn't know if she could really do it.

* * *

><p>"Do you think he likes me? I mean...I've been helping to raise his granddaughter since she was born...but still...do you think he likes me?" Cordelia was venting her emotions on William and William couldn't help but laugh to himself. He didn't dare let Cordelia know he was laughing at her worries. It had been their first big argument.<p>

Controlling himself he tried to answer her questions but was stopped by her continued rant.

"I mean, I know I kind of went off on his daughter and all but what exactly did he expect me say after he basically called her a saint and you a demon...even though you technically were one at the time but..HEY! Human now and you even had a soul when everything happened any way!"

Letting out a huge sigh he realized that he was just suppose to let her rant as she had at one time instructed to let her do.

"...every time he tries to figure out something and it's starting to piss me off with his underlying insinuations. How much are we suppose to take?" Cordelia continued her rant and William began to worry that she was fueling herself up for a fight with Hank.

Trapping her with his arms extending onto the counter ledge next to her he whispered in her ear as she froze at the sound of his hands slamming onto the counter.

"I know 'm 'spose t' let you rant an' rave...but 'e's been kind 'nough to let us live in this 'ome. Gave us some dosh for food, clothes, and those lovely littl' numbers you like t' call underwear."

Cordelia was instantly in a daze and tried her best to quickly pull herself together.

Standing up a little straighter as his words and tone had caused her to slouch and almost melt, she cleared her throat and placed her hand over his right.

"I just don't like him thinking that you're to blame for what happened. You're not." Cordelia said as she leaned back against him and caressed his hand.

They were an odd pair...but strangely enough they fit each other.

Letting out a huge breath William couldn't control his emotions as he spoke the truth to Cordelia.

" 'f you hadn't been there...don't know what I would've done."

Cordelia let a small smile grace her lips as she stared at the frosting that she had been spreading on the cookies her and Anya had made. A mischievous idea came to her in that moment. One that was guaranteed to make there bad thoughts go away.

Slowly she let her finger dip into the small bowl and swiftly turned and smeared the cream like concoction onto his nose and cheek with a huge shit eating grin on her face.

A second passed before William was able to register what had just happened. That's when Cordelia finally spoke.

"Aww..." Cordelia wrinkled her nose with her mocking tone, " did little Willy get all sweet and reminiscent on me?" A huge smile broke across Cordelia's face as Williams look of shock amused her to no end.

That's when she saw the old Spike come out in him. His eyes suddenly narrowed and that evil smirk graced his features.

"I'll give you sweet..." William said, and before Cordelia saw it coming he had dipped his hand into the bag of powered sugar that had been used to make the frosting on the cookies...and dumped it right on top of her perfectly done hair.

Cordelia's smile fell instantly as a look of mortified shock took it's place.

Of course that caused William's shit eating grin to spread across his face.

"White looks good on you."

Cordelia took a second to realize what William had done...and then gave a huge smile. It was enough to make his smile drop and his guard as well for just one second. It was all the time she needed.

* * *

><p>Hank had been looking at photos of Anya, William, and Cordelia that were on the mantle of the fireplace.<p>

He smiled at how happy Anya looked in the various photos. So happy, love radiating from all three sets of eyes.

In the end Hank had concluded that the happiness of his granddaughter came before anything. The truth was Hank was more concerned with how Dawn was going to react to his 'unexpected' visit.

He hadn't seen his little girl in years.

If there was one thing he would regret for the rest of his life...it was that he hadn't pushed harder to understand why they had issued a restraining order against him.

Shaking his head he realized just how stupid he had been.

A knock on the front door made Hank turn and stare down the hallway to where the front door was. Turning back he realized that more than likely William and Cordelia were probably talking and didn't hear the knocking.

Realizing who it could be he let out a huge breathe and started walking towards the door.

He knew Dawn would probably explode after hearing what she had been told at the sight of him here...in William's home.

William had told him that he would help in explaining to Dawn what had happened to cause her to think he had not wanted to be in her or Buffy's life.

But he knew how to handle his little girl. Hank was sure that Dawn would just be shocked enough in seeing him that he would have enough to time to tell her the truth of what had really happened.

When he reached the door he let out another sigh and opened the door...and froze at the sight before him.

* * *

><p>Buffy had been walking slowly towards the door, trying to gather as much courage as she could.<p>

In the end all she could hope for was that he didn't slam the door in her face...which was unlikely...since she was holding Anya in her arms...and that would more than definitely wake her up...and he would more than likely take her away before he would do that but...

"Buffy if you're not sure you want to do this you don't have to." Angel gave her the out, knowing that she was having second thoughts about facing Spike. Even though Buffy had never told him that Spike had indeed raped her...he had assumed that it's what happened to cause the huge change to Buffy's personality.

He never thought he could hate Spike then he already did.

Yet again...Spike proved him wrong.

But Buffy just looked down to the little miracle in her arms and knew that she had to do this.

Before she could change her mind she knocked on the door as everyone gathered behind her, almost unconsciously showing they supported her.

Nothing prepared them for who opened the door.

For a second everyone was frozen.

Buffy was blinking over and over, trying to blink away the vision. When he still remained in front of her she could only utter one word.

"Daddy?"

"Buffy!" Hank then turned eyes to his other daughter. "Dawn!"

"What are you doing here?" Dawn quickly asked. Agitated by the suddenness of his appearance which was in contrast to the lack OF appearance for the past few YEARS!

And yet here he was.

In Spike's house!

It took a second but Hank regrouped and quickly did something that no one had ever warned him not to do.

"Why don't you all come inside. I think we're due for a very overdue talk."

None of them but Angel realized what the man had done with out knowing. It didn't stop him from following Buffy and Dawn into the home with Xander and Willow behind him.

"Dad? What are you doing here?" Buffy asked as the realization that her father was indeed there in Spike's house making her thrilled and scared all at the same time.

Hank didn't know what to say to his daughter...but he never got the chance to utter a word as a screech was heard from down the hall.

Now one would have to understand the layout of the house to fully understand the sight that greeted both Angel and Buffy.

The foyer lay in front of a huge grand staircase, which was split in two by a long hallway that entered into the very large formal living room. Off to the side of the living room was the kitchen which had a large enough sized family room in a very elaborate open plan design. The family room just happened to have a hallway that led right back to the front door off to one side of the staircase.

Since Hank had been in the family room the only thing he could think was that William and Cordelia had become...a little childish...and all watched as Cordelia dashed into the formal living room covered in powdered sugar and icing with William grabbing her and swooping her up into a very huge and passionate kiss.

It didn't matter that it was their very first passionate kiss that he and Cordelia had ever shared.

None of the onlookers knew that.

Cordelia and William were so absorbed in the new experience that they didn't notice the group watching them, only getting carried away with each other instead.

Both Angel and Buffy felt like they had been hit by a hell-god at the sight.

Buffy felt her heart clench at the image, Angel stunned and tortured by the sight of a living breathing Cordelia.

Suddenly Cordelia's moan broke Angel's stunned gaze.

Buffy couldn't have stopped him even if she had tried, Anya was still in her arms and was wiggling awake after Cordelia's screech.

It was the blink of an eye that Angel morphed. Another and he was down the hall and ripping Spike out of Cordelia's impassioned embrace.

Rational left Angel as he spun Spike around and connected his fist with Spike's face.

"ANGEL!" Cordelia screamed as she watched William's face fly back as Angel had put all his strength behind the hit, and the cracking of bone was heard.

But Angel quickly began to strike William's gut and abdomen.

It was then that Buffy snapped back to herself as Anya started to cry as she watched a man she didn't know strike her father, her pacifier dropping onto the floor.

Buffy held her daughter as she tried to struggle to get out of her hold and towards her father, and cry for 'Dada' piercing out of the tiny lungs making Buffy realize what was going on.

Quickly she gave Anya to her father and with Slayer speed rammed her fist into the side of Angel's face.

It knocked him clear across the room.

* * *

><p>For a few seconds no one moved. Only the sound of Anya crying could be heard.<p>

Everything seemed to start back up as if in slow motion.

Cordelia was the first to move.

Instantly she was by William's side.

"William! Honey! Willaim!" Cordelia was slowly caressing his face as her panic started to take over. A drop of blood was visible on William's bottom lip. It wasn't a good sign.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?" Hank yelled as Anya continued to cry and struggle in Hank's hold.

Buffy just stared down as Cordelia Chase, her true mortal enemy, tried to wake an unconscious Spike.

"William! Wake up! William!"

Angel finally shook his head as his vamperic face melted away.

Cordelia turned her head and set her dagger's on Angel.

"WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING? YOU COULD HAVE KILLED HIM ANGEL!" Cordelia screamed as Anya's cries escalated.

Angel just stared back into her angry eyes and gulped.

Hank couldn't help but finally move towards Cordelia and William completely unconscious on the floor.

Anya's cries became frantic as she saw her father on the floor.

Cordelia immediately rose and lifted Anya from Hank's arms.

"It's ok Anya! It's ok. It's ok." Cordelia quickly consoled the screaming toddler and moved her away from William as Hank quickly knelled on the ground to try and wake William.

Buffy watched as Cordelia walked down the hall away from everyone with a more settled Anya.

Anya continued to mumble 'Dada' as Cordelia cooed to her and snuggled with her.

The jealousy hit Buffy like a brick to the face.

Anya quickly settled in Cordelia's hold, and Cordelia spoke softly to her and Anya's little finger instantly entered her mouth.

"Yeah." Anya responded to Cordelia as the huge crocodile tears subsided.

"It's ok baby girl. Daddy's just sleeping. He's just got a booboo." The way that Cordelia said the words was almost like she was saying it to herself than to Anya.

Hank was busy checking William's vitals, when it clicked in Buffy's head.

Suddenly she couldn't breathe.

"Ohmygod."

**Spike's alive.**

Xander and Willow had been just standing in the background when Xander finally moved to help Hank.

After what he himself had done to Spike...he had the horror of watching what he had basically done to Spike.

It made him want to puke.

"Is he dead?"

Buffy hadn't realized that she was about to lose it until Xander asked that question.

Then she was crying, the back of her hand holding in her hysterics, rocking back and forth.

"Please not again, not again..."

Hank looked up at his daughter's plea, a confused look on his face.

Anya again tried to scramble out of Cordelia's hold that Cordelia knew she wasn't going to be able to grab her again.

Anya's little legs quickly took her to her father's side where she promptly bent over and kissed her father's head.

"All gon" Anya announced.

It would have been cute, if William didn't start to stir and groan.

"DADA!" Anya exclaimed.

William winced at his daughter's squeal, and all except Angel let out a huge sigh of relief.

Cordelia was again right beside him, and Buffy watched in horror as Anya naturally went into Cordelia's arms as they waited to see if Spike was ok.

**Let him be ok please...let him be ok...**

Buffy's heart clenched as when Spike opened his eyes Cordelia leaned down and kissed him.

"Dada..."

"Anya Angel..." William mumbled as his eyes cleared.

William tried to move but all soon realized he was in serious pain.

Hank and Xander without thought began to help lift him up.

"Could someone _please_..." Angel's hoarse angry low voice began, "explain to me **what's going on**?"

It was unexpected who responded.

"Don't know how to break it to you Angel..."

Everyone looked to the doorway to find none other than Faith and Robin in the doorway.

"but the other big bad got redeemed before us." Faith continued with a smirk on her face.

"Are we fashionably late?" Robin asked as he took in the scene.

William's head fell back as one word escaped his mouth, as Hank and Xander held him up.

"Balls!"

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes:<strong> Well? What do you think?


	6. Mommy's got it bad!

Author's Note: Hope this doesn't disappoint! Read and Review! Sorry for the long wait! Holiday time was busy!

* * *

><p>"AUN FAIF!" Anya yelled, William winced and Cordelia again had to let go of a struggling baby girl.<p>

Anya's little legs took her straight to Faith, babling 'Aun Faif' the whole way, where she was hoisted up into Faith's arms.

"Hey munchkin!" Faith said with a huge smile.

Immediately Anya gave Faith a kiss on the lips and began to tell Faith what had happened.

"Dada booboo."

Faith chuckled a little. "Yeah, I see that."

Angel angrily stood up and was making his way over to where Spike was being laid down on the sofa.

Cordelia stepped in Angel's path.

"You're not going near him!" Cordelia said with arms crossed and eyes that made Angel's anger melt away.

Cordelia watched as Angel's anger vanished and his dark eyes lightened to warm honey as he looked at her.

"Cordy?" His voice almost reverent as he asked if it was her.

Angel lifted his hand and caressed Cordelia's face with the softest of touches.

Cordelia couldn't help but feel elated at the touch, but she quickly pushed the feeling down. Yet Angel couldn't stop the look of awe as he stared into Cordelia's eyes.

Cordelia slowly withdrew from Angel's touch and turned to go back to William's side.

But _Buffy's_ eyes hadn't left Spike since he was lifted up.

Not many would understand what she was feeling. Not many could grasp how complicated there relationship really was.

But since _that_ night.

Since _that_ night she couldn't stand looking in the mirror.

For the first time in her life she had done something so horrendous that she had thought that _she_ had been the monster all along.

Obviously in pain at the moment, Buffy realized that he hadn't noticed her.

Cordelia was again by his side and Buffy struggled with the uncontrollable urge to yank Cordelia away from Spike and pummel her to the ground for touching what didn't belong to her...

Buffy shook her head, trying to shake the incredibly violent thought out, but the second her eyes opened and landed on Cordelia as she bent down to kiss Spike again - Buffy couldn't stand watching it a second more.

Faith moved toward Buffy, having witnessed the crushing look on Buffy's face as Cordelia had bent to kiss William again.

"B!"

"**Don't**!" Buffy growled as she quickly dodged Faith and rushed out of the house.

Anya's eyebrows furrowed and a frown marred her face.

"Sad?" Anya asked as she and Faith watched Buffy go out the door.

"Yeah baby girl...sad." Robin answered as he leaned over and kissed Anya's forehead and shared a quick kiss with Faith, then walked over to the man now laying on the sofa as Faith followed Buffy.

"Looks like I'm not the only one who can't stand you." Robin said with a smirk as he crossed his arms. Looking down at William, Robin realized that the man standing not four feet away had done some major damage.

William couldn't even respond. His breathing had become labored and wheezy.

Finally opening his eyes he looked up to find Robin and Cordelia looking at him.

"I think we need to call an ambulance...looks like he has cracked ribs." Hank said as he moved from the pain riddled man towards the kitchen to grab the phone.

"NO!" William shouted and regretted it almost instantly. Clutching his chest and groaning loudly as pain ripped through him.

Angel watched in shock as Cordelia tried to help him ease back down onto the couch with pain etched onto her own face.

"Damn it William, I know you don't want to go back there, but you might have to!" Cordelia scolded even as she watched the unshed tears form in the corners of William's closed eyes.

"We can call Dr. Kane and see if he can do a house visit...I mean...I know it's not done anymore but due to the..um...circumstances I think he would make an exception." Willow said as she realized the predicament they were in.

Both Willow and Xander shared a small look, knowing that the last time that Spike had been to the hospital...it had been because of Xander.

It had taken Spike almost three months to recover.

Even to this day when Xander visited Anya...Spike had never said a word about that day.

Weird enough they had slowly developed a weird sort of friendship. They actually hung out together - always with Anya- but they actually laughed together. Made jokes about the other.

It had taken time, but Xander had started to actually see the human...and not the vampire he had once been.

Willow had started to form her relationship with Spike even before he had become human. Willow had again been the one to calm Xander down and force him to see that despite everything...Spike...William...was one of them.

It had been a hard pill to swallow...but as time passed...and they had spent long extended periods of time together. Willow had been more friendly towards him then Xander at first...and slowly Xander had followed.

"I'll go call him." Cordelia said as she again leaned down and gave William a small peck on the lips, distracting Xander's thoughts.

Standing up Cordelia avoided Angel's questioning stare and quickly moved to the kitchen to grab the phone.

Angel of course was right behind her.

* * *

><p>"B WAIT!" Faith yelled at Buffy from the driveway.<p>

Buffy was at the bottom of the small inclined drive and was crying, but she stopped when little Anya yelled just like Faith.

"WAIT!" Anya yelled, a scowl similar to her father's on her face.

Buffy turned around and watched Faith quickly walk towards her with Anya on her hip.

"B..." Faith began.

"You knew about them didn't you?" Buffy said with repressed anger.

Faith adjusted Anya, and quickly defended her secret keeping.

"William wanted you in her life, when you didn't show up he called me! He wanted Anya to have a family B! Something that you and I both know every little girl needs!" Faith said with her own anger starting to show.

"You could have told me.."

"Told you what B?" Faith exclaimed suddenly, "That Cordelia was more of a mother to your kid then you were? That despite the fact that she can't stand you, she's raised your daughter as her own! Yeah B! I didn't tell you! Because at the end of the day she was being a mom to your kid! And as messed up as it sounds...Will thought I should be in her life because it was the closest thing to you that she could have!"

The words shut Buffy up faster than anything else ever had...because it was the truth.

And the truth indeed hurt.

"But now's your chance B! If you walk away now..." Faith shook her head and looked at Anya and back at Buffy, "I don't think I can let you back into Anya's life." Faith said with a serious look on her face, Anya of course squirming causing Faith to readjust as she stared at the confused blonde.

Buffy stared at Faith and then at Anya.

Anya was staring back at her, her little finger in her mouth, a furrowed brow as she stared at Buffy.

"She's safer without me." Buffy whispered the words.

Faith had heard her though, and her own brow furrowed, her mind putting the puzzle pieces together.

"What happened?" Faith asked as she watched Buffy's resolve face dissolve into anguish.

* * *

><p>"Why are you with him? What the hell's going on?" Angel spun Cordelia around and stared at her with angry brown eyes.<p>

Cordelia backed up with an evil glare and a raised brow.

"What he is to me is NONE of YOUR business Angel!" Cordelia tried to get a grip on the conflicting emotions coursing through her.

On one hand Cordelia was overwhelmed to finally have him in front of her, to know that Angel was safe and not dead because of some apocalypse.

That he still existed.

On the other...she knew what Angel had done. She had watched him be Angelus. Had seen the secrets that Buffy had kept from them...had watched what he had done to William...knew what he had taken back so he could keep fighting as a champion.

"Why do you even care...you have Buffy now, don't you! That's what you've wanted right? That's why..."

"Have you called the doctor yet?" Xander asked as he entered the kitchen, knowingly stopping Cordelia's tirade.

Turning Cordelia moved to grab the phone, ending the fight that was inevitable for her and Angel to have.

Xander stared at Angel as Cordelia began talking to the doctor.

"Leave her alone Deadboy...she's been through enough..."

"Are you seriously trying to intimidate me?" Angel asked with a quirked brow and a bored look on his face.

Xander didn't even listen to Angel.

"We both made our choices with her along time ago Angel."

The words shocked Angel still, staring into the eyes of a man that he knew hated him.

Cordelia was too busy talking to the doctor to pay attention to them. It was the only time Xander knew he could tell Angel off.

"I'm not a smart guy...I'll cop to that," Xander began and then waved a hand in front of Angel in a 'stop' gesture, "but I do know that when Cordelia loves...she'll risk losing people to be with the person she loves. I can vouch for that!"

Angel just stood there trying to come to terms with what Xander was saying...but he just couldn't.

"It's SPIKE!" Angel yelled out, completely frustrated with the fact that Xander of all people was at ease with this fact.

"Ok...when** I** say grow up...you know it's bad!" Xander said with his infamous furrowed brow look.

With that Xander went back into the living room, leaving a bewildered Angel to stand in the kitchen waiting for Cordelia.

* * *

><p>"B...they didn't get her. That's all that matters." Faith wasn't just trying to convince Buffy. The thought of evil vampires turning Anya horrifying her like nothing else before. And she had killed children vampires before...it was saying something when it scared even her. She held Anya closer unconsciously.<p>

But Faith knew...there were things worse then death. What they could have done to Anya...

Buffy moved towards Faith suddenly.

"Of course it does. Bad things always happen around me Faith! You of all people know the ickiness that occurs. I don't want her being risked. She needs to be unrisky! Out of everything in this world I love her more than anything and I can't..." The tears started pouring again, "I can't go through that. I...I can't."

Faith just stared at the person that was in front of her. So much like Buffy...but somehow so different from the person she use to know.

"B! You've faced worse things than a couple of vampires before..." Faith began but was swiftly cut off.

"But they've been after **me**! She can have the normal that I finally realized I just can't have. I can give that to them." Buffy determined statement gave the hint that Faith had been trying to get to.

"Them." Faith stated.

Buffy glanced over at Anya, and turned and looked away.

Closing her eyes for a few seconds Faith gathered her thoughts and opened her eyes to face a person she had at one time considered an enemy, now a friend who she had yet to make amends with.

The the image of Buffy's face as William kissed Cordelia popped into her mind.

Over and over the scene replayed.

Everytime the image focusing more and more on Buffy's eyes.

And suddenly she saw it.

Faith's eyes popped open.

"You're in love with him!" Faith said with shock written all over her face.

Buffy jerked her head back with bulged eyes as Faith's words permeated the air.

Faith smiled and let out a little laugh, which of course caused little Anya to fake laugh like she usually did if someone laughed.

"Holy crap B! You're really in love with him. Not the I wanna screw his brains out..."

"FAITH!" Buffy exclaimed as she swirled and motioned towards her daughter.

"You're the 'I can't imagine existing without him' kind of love!" Faith finished disregarding Buffy's exclamation.

"Damn B! If you're in love with him why don't you just..."

Buffy started shaking her head no, slowly then faster and faster, tears spilling as her mind took her back to that night.

"I can't..." Buffy gasped.

Faith's face scrunched up with misunderstanding.

"He's not a vampire anymore B. He can..."

Buffy's eyes suddenly blazed with a fire that Faith hadn't seen in many years.

"He can have what **I** could never give him."

Faith didn't move, didn't try to even say a word as Buffy's mouth continued to move. Trying to say words but nothing coming out.

"He...he...he was smiling." Buffy breathed the words out, like her breathe was fighting to come out or like it was being sucked out of her.

Her mind replayed that moment. The moment where Spike was spinning Cordelia around and up. The look of happiness on his face and heat in his eyes as he brought Cordelia's lips to his and kissed her with a passion that Buffy had always denied him.

But the worst part.

The worst part was seeing Cordelia return it.

Buffy felt the clogging of her throat as she remembered the way Spike looked.

Faith couldn't help but feel sorry for Buffy.

It was different now.

Things were different.

Years ago Buffy had been the one to have the friends and family behind her, making Faith feel like the outsider.

Now...Buffy had made herself be the outsider.

William had never told Faith what had happened the night Anya was conceived. As far as Faith knew only Cordelia knew...and she hadn't said or mentioned a word about it. Sadly it was the only thing that made Faith believe that what ever it was it was something extremely bad.

Cordelia was not a person that held secrets or was good with tact.

"You can't understand." Buffy said with misery.

Faith tried not to press, she really did, but in the end she knew she had to say something to make Buffy stay.

"Yeah well...I doubt Angel is going to just leave it like that. Believe me when I say that Cordelia is probably the only other thing other than you that can make him lose it."

Faith had spent time with Angel helping him redeem himself after what he had done as Twilight. After the life he had taken.

Giles' death had made them all change. Made them all grow up faster in just a day.

Buffy had pretty much washed her hands of Angel.

Faith had been the one to help Angel pick up the pieces.

Months of being there for him, talking with him, becoming true friends and helping each other face their paths and trying to reach for the ever elusive redemption that they both wanted.

So Faith had come to find out the Angel had been in love with Cordelia. In love enough that a dream of making love to her had caused him to lose his soul.

A dream.

If anything could make Angel lose his cool...it was the idea of Cordelia touching probably the only person in the universe that Angel could barely stand.

The words slowly sunk in and Buffy's eyes widened, within a second was she was dashing back towards the house.

Faith gave a little smirk as she quickly followed Buffy towards the house again, little Anya giving her little laugh as Faith whispered to her.

"Mommy's got it bad for Daddy!"

* * *

><p>Author's Note: So? What do you guys think? Is it getting good or should I hang up my hat? REVIEW REVIEW!<p> 


	7. Science Fiction

**Author's Note: I know we haven't gone back in time yet, but I need to set up things before we can get there. Hopefully it won't be but a few chapters away...and then the long haul!  
><strong>

* * *

><p>Angel couldn't stop the anger that was traveling through him. It bordered on Angelus popping out.<p>

As he paced in the kitchen waiting for Cordelia to get off the phone he noticed his surroundings.

Small things around him that let him know that Cordelia had not just been alive for some time...but that she had been living with Spike for a very long time.

Little things were scattered about in the living room right across from the kitchen, and with Angel's eyesight he could make them out clearly.

Pictures of Cordelia with Anya. Of all three of them. Even some pictures of there whole group.

She had been back for much longer than he thought as he examined everything.

A basket of laundry was off to the side of the kitchen with both her underwear and Spike's clothes along with the obvious baby clothes. Keys on the counter with a picture of the three of them together in a 'family shot.'

Dishes in the sink from the family meal that they had obviously had not but a few minutes ago.

Everything screamed family.

Family.

Angel's insides twisted as his mind imagined the sight of Cordelia laying under Spike as they moved together slowly.

He couldn't stop himself from clenching his fists as his mind played its evil part in making him realize just what exactly had happened between them. What **was** happening between them!

His pacing increased to a state of panic.

It wasn't going to happen.

Hell no!

He was not going to lose Cordelia to WILLIAM the bloody awful poet!

There was no way it was happening.

Without a word to Cordelia, Angel left the kitchen with a single minded mission. Beat the crap out of Spike until Cordelia saw what a sniveling little pain in the ass he truly was.

Suddenly right in front of him was Robin.

"And where do you think your going?" Robin asked with arms crossed.

"Out of my way boy."

Robin stepped in Angel's way.

"Nah, I don't think so."

Angel's anger flared and before thought could process he had grabbed Robin by the throat and lifted him off the ground. Robin's hands instantly went around the hand that was currently choking him.

"I told you to get out of my way!" Angel said as his face slowly melted away to show his vampiric form.

"HEY!" A voice rang out.

Everyone turned to see a very ticked off looking Gunn.

"Now I know your not trippin and hurtin my friend Robin!" Gunn began as he entered through the sliding glass door in the back. Followed directly behind him was none other than Wesley, Fred, and Connor.

"Cause the Angel that I know wouldn't pummel a guy for no reason." Gunn said as his eyebrows rose in a furrow.

Fred immediately went over to Spike as Wesley and Connor stood beside Gunn.

Not removing his hand from around Robin's throat Angel began to speak to the newcomers.

"What are you all doing here?" Angel asked without removing his eyes from the man dangling from his grasp.

"Spike asked us to come over tonight. Something about Anya." Connor said as he turned his head to watch as a man he didn't know along with Fred were trying to help Spike stay on the couch as Spike tried to stand up.

Xander and Willow knew better than to try and keep Spike down. Years of experience they both knew Spike was kinda impossible to keep down.

William stood up yet looked like he was about to plummet back to the couch.

"OI!" William yelled at Angel.

Angel turned his gaze to Spike and raised Robin up in the air just a little more.

"Let 'em go Peaches! How about you try an hit me face to face...or is that too manly for yah Poofter!"

The anger in Angel skyrocketed at the insults. Angel tossed Robin towards Connor and the others, knocking them down to the ground as he moved towards Spike.

What happened next shocked everyone...because no one expected it.

Suddenly standing in front of Spike was none other than Oz.

"Hey Angel." Oz said with such a relaxed calm voice that everyone else in the room froze.

"Oz...get out of my way." Angel tried to step around Oz, but Oz quickly blocked Angel. A grimace formed on Oz's face.

"I don't think you really want me to." Oz spoke with his hands in his pockets, in no way was he being aggressive. Always the pacifist Oz behaved with a coolness that always stunned those around him. He was a complete opposite to wild storm that was William.

"Bloody hell dog boy! Move!" William ground out as his vision blurred slightly, but he still attempted to move past Oz and attack Angel.

Oz ignored William's comment as he stared into the vamperic face in front of him.

"Come on Angel. You know you really don't want to hurt anyone." Oz tried to reason.

"Leave Spike alone Angel!"

It was odd how Angel jumped at the appearance of Andrew beside him.

"Bloody...would you all jus' bugger off and let me 'andle this!" William's anger at being 'protected' helped him push back the pain, allowing him to side step Oz and go face to face with Angel.

"Well now Peaches...don't fancy me ticklin' Cordy do you?" William gave that evil smirk that always made Angel want to rip his neck out. Then William's eyebrow popped up. "Doesn't have a tackle to make you squeal now does she!" What made Angel swing at Spike wasn't the words, but the satisfaction on Spike's face as he curled his tongue behind his teeth.

Angel knew the look all to well.

Oddly though...his fist never connected with Spike's face.

As a matter of fact Angel wasn't even close to Spike...as a pissed off blonde slayer had hit him with a speed and strength that caused the house to literally shake.

William's face crumpled in shock and mild horror as he took in the sight right in front of him where Angel once stood.

Buffy was breathing heavily and her body was shuddering from the huge exertion that she had exerted in a short amount of time.

Her eyes blazed as she once again had to beat Angel away from Spike...but this time...this time Buffy's eyes shone with anger. And as rare as it was...it was aimed towards Angel.

"Don't you ever try and hurt him again Angel...and if you try...I swear it'll be the last time you have arms."

Everyone stood there in complete shock at the edge of rage in Buffy's voice as she threatened Angel. It left all there stunned. But noone more than Spike.

And it was as if the second he realized who the person in front of him was, Buffy felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise. It was as though she sensed the moment he recognized her.

Noone can recall exactly what happened in the next few moments. Even if they could...it would be almost impossible to explain accurately.

But all there could vouch for one thing.

As Buffy turned to face Spike, she made a small motion as if she was going to touch him...and William the Bloody, Slayer of Slayers...flinched away from her touch.

* * *

><p>Buffy stared into Spikes eyes as he quickly backed up from her.<p>

Bile rose in her throat as she recognized the look on his face.

Fear...God...he feared her.

Suddenly her vision blurred as the tears began to form.

Never had he flinched away from her...not in battle...not even when chained to a boulder about to face his death.

Spike had never flinched.

It made her sick to know that she had done it.

After everything...in the end...Buffy had made Spike disgusted of her touch.

Still Buffy took a step towards him as he tried to get as much distance from her as possible.

That was when Cordelia came back into the room. Her eyes immediately found William's. And the look in his eyes. She had seen it only once before. It had been years and almost a lifetime...but that look had stayed with her after all this time.

Indignation surged through Cordelia and within a few strides she whipped Buffy away from William's retreating form.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOUR DOING?" Cordelia yelled as she placed herself between William and Buffy.

Buffy was confused for a second before she gathered her barrings once more and looked up to find a pissed off Cordelia Chase in her face.

"ARE YOU COMPLETELY DEMENTED IN THINKING YOU CAN EVEN GO NEAR HIM?" Cordelia continued to yell as the images of long ago rose and plagued her mind. She wouldn't let it happen again. She couldn't let him relive it again.

Buffy felt like Cordelia had physically slapped her in the face. Buffy winced at the look in Cordelia's eyes.

She knew.

Buffy couldn't even manage anger as Cordelia stared daggers at her.

"Hey don't you..." Dawn was about to defend her sister. Having remained quiet the whole time observing, she had decided found Spike retreating from Buffy more than just odd...but when Cordelia had started yelling at Buffy...Dawn's claws came out. Or they would have if Xander hadn't stopped her.

"Don't!" Xander said as he moved towards Dawn.

"Do you have any idea what it took...how LONG it took for him to recover from what you did to him?" Cordelia's words were meant only for Buffy, but Angel, Oz, and Fred did. Fred, who at the moment Buffy struck Angel had morphed into Ilyria prepared herself to defend someone that she had considered a pet...but now called friend.

But Buffy couldn't even defend herself. Because even she knew exactly what she had done. Since that night she had tried to move on. Desperately she had tried to reason with herself that it meant nothing. That it was only justice after everything...

"HEY! You can't space out while I'm YELLING at you!" Cordelia gained Buffy's attention once more. Cordelia was about to actually initiate physical contact with Buffy by shockingly slapping Buffy's face.

It shocked even William out of his stupor. Enough to make him realize that Cordelia had placed herself between him and Buffy and was about to unleash the Slayer on her mortal self.

Without thought he quickly rushed forward and wrapped his arms around Cordelia and hoisted her back and away from Buffy.

Unfortunately the sight of Cordelia in Spike's arms caused the anger of just minutes before to rise and flourish unabated.

Her eyebrows furrowed and her jaw ticked. Buffy had taken a step before Angel realized a throw down was about to happen and quickly rushed to grab Buffy.

"Buffy! Buffy! NO NO!" Angel tried to keep Buffy detained as William did the same with Cordelia.

"LET GO ANGEL!" Buffy was yelling at the top of her lungs...struggling desperately to get to Cordelia and rip her head off.

William was having to do the same with Cordelia as odd as that was and as suicidal as it sounded.

"What'd I miss?" Faith said as she entered the house with Anya, greeted by the sight of Buffy being pulled away from Cordelia and both squirming to get to each other.

Anya had never seen Cordelia act in such a way...and soon began to whimper for her. Faith who knew the signs of Anya's meltdown face quickly scanned every which way and quickly found the solution.

It was her favorite toy that Hank had given Anya when she was still a few months old. Swiping the stuffed toy from the ground, Faith began to distract Anya with 'Mr. Bucks' and twisted away from the scene so Anya would concentrate on her.

"Bloody 'ell Angel get her out of 'ere!" William said between Cordelia's flailing arms hitting his face.

Buffy stopped struggling the instant Angel brought her within sight of Anya. The sight of her baby girl on the threshold of crying again making her snap out of her anger and go into sane mother mode in an instant.

Cordelia though was proving another matter.

William held tight to her, but knew he was about to lose his grip on the enraged woman in his arms. He did the only thing he knew that could make her stop hitting him in his mind. Moving swiftly he turned her and locked her arms against her own back and quickly kissed the living daylights out of her.

Of course...the action backfired...because Angel morphed at the sight once more, growled, and then proceeded to launch himself at the duo again!

Faith had whipped around at the sound of Angel's growl, having gotten to know it so well after the enormous amount of time they had spent together. Little Anya scowled at the sight of the bad man that had hit her daddy before and without thought grabbed her precious Mr. Bucks and threw it at Angel.

Angel caught the toy instinctively and without thought ripped it in half.

All those who had seen the act quickly and worriedly looked to Anya's face.

The little girl's face was an identical replica of Buffy's wide eyed astonished face...but within a second of processing the event...her little lips formed into the horrid trembling pout as her eyes scrunched and filled with tears. A little whimper escaped before Anya turned and buried her head into Faith's neck.

Less than a second. Less than a second it took for Buffy to go from composed to absolutely livid.

It seemed that one second Angel was standing there and the next he was being hoisted up and rammed against the wall that separated the kitchen from the living room...or the wall that USE to separate the rooms.

"YOU MADE HER CRY!" Buffy's wild green eyes stared up at a now unmorphed face of Angel's.

Buffy smashed Angel against the wall once more and stared up at him with a venom that even Angelus had never seen.

"DO YOU KNOW HOW IT MAKES ME FEEL ANGEL! TO SEE HER CRY?"

It was the wrath of a mother wolf who's cub had been touched.

Even Cordelia had stopped struggling at the sound of the wall being smashed by Angel's frame.

William was confused at first but after processing what Buffy had said his own eyes expanded wide as he looked to where his little girl was. Letting go of Cordelia he quickly rushed to Faith and swiped Anya from her arms.

"It's ok Anya angel...it's ok...don't cry princess...daddy will fix Mr. Bucks..."

But little Anya had buried her streaming eyes into her father's neck now and was unnaturally crying quietly. Little whimper escaped Anya and Buffy again was brought back to what had just happened.

Dropping Angel on his ass she quickly looked over at the stuffed toy that was now decapitated. Xander and Willow didn't know what to do, but thank god for Dawn as her wide eyes widened even more as she dashed out of the house.

By the time William was consoling Anya, Cordelia has snapped out of it and was instantly at Anya's side patting and rubbing Anya's back.

"Ah baby don't cry." Cordelia said and within a second Anya had launched herself into Cordelia's arms.

It was as if the world had faded away for the couple as they held little Anya.

It's the thought that struck Buffy as she watched the scene unfold. Her little girl was holding on to Cordelia like a lifeline.

Like a daugher sought comfort in the arms of it's mother.

Buffy's heart dropped as Spike wrapped the two in his hold and shushed Anya.

"HERE!" Dawn ran past and separated the two almost as quickly as they had come together.

Anya's head turned slightly as a pink plush pig was pushed into her sights.

"Anya! Look at what mommy brought you! It's Mr. Gordo!" Dawn said as she made the toy 'dance' in front of Anya's face.

William and Buffy sucked in a breath as the words came out of Dawn's mouth...and especially with the way Anya instantly straightened and placed her finger in her mouth as she eyed Mr. Gordo.

"Mr. Gordo doesn't like to see you cry Anya." Dawn said as she made the pig shake his head no.

"Is Anya sad?" Xander quickly took his role as Mr. Gordo's voice to make him sound to as close to a pig as he could as he caught Dawn's discreet hand gestures.

Little Anya nodded her head as she stared at Mr. Gordo.

"Oh...don't be sad. Can I kiss you and make it all better?" Xander was struggling to figure out how to sound like a pig talking but Willow and Faith were encouraging him with smiles and a thumbs up.

"Kissy...Kissykissy!" Xander squealed out as Dawn smothered Anya with Mr. Gordo...finally gaining a smile from the little girl.

All breathed a sigh of relief as both Dawn and Xander continued to lull Anya into the new toy.

Cordelia carried Anya into the kitchen as William, Dawn, and Xander kept in toe.

Everyone else stood there...not knowing what to say or do for a few seconds...but Ilyria was the one to break the odd silence.

"I did not know lower vermin than vampires could speak in this realm."

Connor and Gunn exchanged a small grin as they both understood the odd joke.

Oz and Willow both were more concerned with Buffy as she seemed to be staring at the spot Cordelia and the others had been.

"Buffy...are you ok?" Willow asked as she placed her hand on Buffy's shoulder.

Buffy didn't react until Oz spoke.

"She knows Cordelia...feels safe with her."

Though Oz meant to make Buffy feel better about the circumstances...it only made her feel worse.

Faith and Connor helped pick Angel off the ground as he still seemed to be in a stupor. Then Faith walked over to the man that still was rubbing his throat and looking ashamed.

"This reminds me of the time Han Solo was jealous of Leah kissing Luke when they were on..." Andrew began but as everyone turned to stare at him he stopped his words.

A nervous laugh escaped him.

"But this isn't science fiction..." He finished quietly.

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><p>Author's Note: Worth the wait or no? Feel like reviewing after that? Come on...you know you do.<p> 


	8. The Journey Begins

Author's note: Sorry it took so long! Haven't really had time to write as work has been draining me of all energy. The little time that I had I knocked out this chapter! Hopefully you guys like it.

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><p>Spike had made sure that Anya played happily with Mr. Gordo in the family room, but soon was being dragged away by Cordelia.<p>

Xander and Dawn watched as Cordelia pulled Spike down the hall towards the front of the house, to the foot of the stairs. Exchanging a look with Xander, Dawn began to ease her way down the hall to follow them.

Xander was dumbfounded for a second before he began to register what Dawn was trying to do.

Eavesdropping was a Dawn specialty.

Xander followed Dawn and tried to begin to drag her away, but Dawn refused to be moved and made her way closer to listen in on what Spike and Cordelia were talking about.

"…tell me and I swear I'll make them go away."

Cordelia's softly spoken words barely audible with the others in the other room still continuing conversation.

"Cordelia…I'm a big boy…I…I overreacted….I'm fine."

The soft subdued voice made both Xander and Dawn pause. It sounded so unlike Spike, that if they didn't know better, they would say it sounded more like…well….Giles.

"I still don't want her near you. I know you've always wanted her to be in Anya's life but…"

"She needs to meet her Cordelia…" Spike interrupted Cordelia, " time isn't on ours or Buffy's side."

Dawn and Xander flinched at the words, harsh reality showing its ugly face once more in that instant.

"I just don't want her to hurt you again…I couldn't stand her before….but _now_ I…"

By the sound of it, Spike had stopped Cordelia's speech with a kiss.

Dawn's anger rose at the words, and especially at Spike's reaction to them.

Xander though…his mind was suddenly putting the pieces together.

His mind flashed back to all those months ago.

_All he could do was react._

_Within a second he was pushing Cordelia out of the way and smashing his fist into Spike's face. Not realizing anything but his anger - not Cordelia screaming or the heat of Spike's skin, the warmth to the blood that had coated his fist, the fact that Spike didn't even fight back...it took Xander hitting him so hard that Spike flew back into the stream of light coming from the uncovered window._

_Cordelia had been pulling on him and even hitting him, trying to get him to stop...but it took the sight of Spike on the ground, covered in blood, with the sun shining on him to make Xander freeze._

_"STOP IT! YOU'RE KILLING HIM!" Cordelia finally managed one good punch to Xander's midsection. He doubled over almost immediately. The air literally knocked out of him._

_Cordelia hadn't hesitated in running to Spike and tending to his broken nose and bleeding gums._

_Not fully recovered he had looked up and saw Cordelia lift up Spike's shirt...he was yellow and blue everywhere._

Suddenly…it clicked into place.

The old bruises that had marked his body….it had been Buffy to put them there.

But that meant that Buffy had hit him when Spike had turned human…right?

Xander shook his head, trying to deny what his conscious was telling him that Buffy was the one that had left those marks on Spike.

Everyone was distracted, no one noticed little Anya sucking on her pacifier and staring out the window at the vampire that was smiling viciously at her.

Anya stared without blinking or crying at the vampire, sucking her pacifier that her father had lovingly given her to calm her down even more.

When other vampires flanked the lone vampire, Anya's eyebrows furrowed in a scowl and stared daggers at them.

Her little hands gripped her newly acquired Mr. Gordo, and began to waddle walk to where her Aunt Faith was busy talking with the mean man that had torn off her Mr. Buck's head.

Faith stopped talking the second Anya came over to where she was talking with Angel.

Anya extended her arms up still clutching Mr. Gordo and sucking on her pacifier as she approached Faith.

Without thought Faith stepped away from Angel and lifted Anya into her arms.

* * *

><p>After Faith had helped Robin to his feet, as he rubbed at his sore neck, Faith had walked him over to the couch and told him not to move.<p>

Robin would have protested if Faith hadn't of kissed him and murmured how he should have known not to tempt fate after Sunnydale.

It was the way her eyes raked over him that he realized she was reliving those memories…so he kept his mouth shut and laid there as she started to walk over to vamp gel head in the corner, when she stopped and turned back around and kissed him into a daze.

Faith made sure he was distracted enough that she could slip away and talk with Angel, wanting to bash Angel's head against the wall for touching Robin.

It had taken a long time, but Robin had been slowly making his way back into her life. She had brushed him off a long time ago, and intelligently he had let her. Time had passed before he reinserted himself into her life.

Faith was not anything if not stubborn.

As she approached Angel she had to remind herself that he was her friend.

A friend that had almost gotten her killed God knows how many times…but a friend none the less.

So she decided to take it easy on him.

Angel was coming out of his stupor and seemed to be brooding once more, staring at the rug beneath his feet when he realized Faith approaching.

He never should have looked up.

The fist connecting with his nose confirmed it.

His head whipped back and he quickly grabbed his nose, hoping it wasn't busted.

"One!" Faith said as he held up a finger, "If you ever scare or make Anya cry like that again…I will make Buffy kicking your ass feel like a vacation!"

Angel shook his head and tried to keep his eyes from tearing up.

"Two!" Faith continued her countdown, "Blondie's a human now! I knew if I told you that you'd flip out. But it also means that you can't go around hitting him anymore."

Finally Angel was able to actually see when another punch did break his nose.

"Three!" Faith continued, "If you ever hurt Robin again…I'll put my foot so far up…"

"OK! OK! I GET IT!" Angel exclaimed as he held his now bloody nose.

"What the hell were you thinking…" Faith started to question Angel.

"He was touching her." Angel said under his breath.

But Faith heard him.

Faith furrowed her brow.

"But you're with Buffy now…" Faith stated, trying to figure out why Angel would be so upset.

That's when Angel looked down, and Faith followed his gaze.

Anya reached up for her and she instantly lifted her niece up.

"What's the matter munchkin?"

Faith recognized Anya's furrowed brow, knew instantly something was wrong.

Anya's arm came up while clutching Mr. Gordo with the other and pointed to the French doors that the others had come through.

The yellow eyes staring back at her made Faith instantly yell out.

"B! WE'VE GOT THAT COMPANY YOU DIDN'T WANT SHOWING UP!"

* * *

><p>Buffy was startled into looking up and seeing the crowd of vampires right outside the doors.<p>

Her heart beat went into overdrive as she realized that all those yellow eyes weren't staring at her….but at one person.

One baby.

Her baby.

In an instant she was shoving Faith behind her.

"TAKE HER UPSTAIRS AND HIDE HER!" Buffy barked out.

"Why? They can't get in here unless they're invited!" Gunn pointed out as he stared at the crowd of vampires outside.

Suddenly several different demons jumped through the windows.

"See - now that's just cheating!" Gunn exclaimed.

Buffy turned and grabbed Anya out of Faith's hands, the urge and instinct to protect Anya overcoming her instinct to fight.

"B!" Faith screamed but was soon grabbed from behind. The fight had begun.

As Buffy ran with Anya to the front of the house towards the stairs Spike came barreling towards her.

"Bloody…come on!" Spike grabbed Buffy and pulled her towards the stairs.

Buffy's mind wasn't on Dawn…wasn't on her father…her mind was focused on protecting her daughter.

Cordelia ran towards the fight but quickly stopped and made a dash to a small closet off of the stairs.

Pulling out weapons she ran towards Angel.

Without thinking to much on it, she tossed him and Gunn weapons…and threw themselves into the fight.

Spike quickly pulled Buffy into the master bedroom. Moving with precision he moved them quickly into the closet.

Buffy pushed the sight of Cordelia's clothes mixed with Spike's clothes aside.

She focused more on Spike's grip.

Touched by him in any way made her heart beat that much faster.

Buffy was so focused on getting away from the demons that she missed the look her little girl was looking at her with.

Anya hadn't really looked at her when the other attack had happened. The last time Anya had been scared. But Anya remembered that she had been safe in someone's arms.

Anya knew it was this person the instant she was in Buffy's arms.

But it was when Anya actually saw Buffy's face did Anya become stunned.

"Is she ok?" Spike asked as he barricaded the door.

That's when Buffy finally looked at Anya's little face.

It was like the world stopped.

Anya's eyes were riveted to her face. Sucking on her little pacifier, her little hands were suddenly on Buffy's face.

Buffy was stunned into stillness as her little girl's baby hand was suddenly on her lips and cheek.

Something in Buffy felt at peace in the one little moment. With the sound of chaos in the distance…in that moment…with her daughter staring into her eyes…nothing had ever felt so perfect in her entire life… until Anya said one mumbled word.

"Mama!"

Spike froze from barricading the door as he heard the mumbled word.

Buffy was just as shocked.

"What did you say?" Buffy whispered the words, her heart beating a mile a minute.

Anya pulled back from Buffy with a smirk that Buffy recognized as a replica of her own. Buffy watched as Anya put her little finger in her mouth, her pacifier partly hiding the little grin.

Buffy shook her head. Maybe she misunderstood her, maybe her mind just tricked her into hearing what she wanted.

Suddenly a demon's arm broke through the door.

Buffy jerked her head to see Spike startled and trying to hit the demon into retreating his arm back.

Quickly she placed Anya in the closet in the corner with Mr. Gordo.

Staring into her little girls eyes she quickly tried to settle Anya.

"Anya stay here until Daddy comes and gets you. Can you be a good girl and sit here until Daddy comes and gets you?" Buffy tried to not sound frantic, trying to make Anya just stay put.

Anya nodded her little head and pulled Mr. Gordo closer to herself.

Buffy couldn't even help herself as she kissed her little girls forehead, squeezing her eyes shut and praying in that moment that nothing would happen to her. Then the Slayer forced herself to stand up and once again protect her family.

* * *

><p>Angel was hurtled through the glass window and into the gang of vampires waiting to get in on the action.<p>

Illyria and Connor were inside trying to keep the various demons away from the stairs, as they were all obviously trying to get to them, though some demons had gotten through due to the multitude of demons entering the home.

Gunn had grabbed the fireplace poker and was hacking into the demons that we're trying to go through the kitchen to get to the stairs.

Oz was on the opposite side trying to keep the other demons from slipping through the hallway to the front.

Xander and Dawn had ran after the few demons that had managed to get to the stairs and were hard at work killing them off.

All in all there was chaos.

Willow was helping Hank Summer's take down as many demons as they could, keep them busy while Faith dispatched as many as she could in as fast a manner as she could.

Faith worrying not only that her niece was trapped upstairs and that these demons were after, but Robin.

Robin was the only one on the stairs fighting off as many demons from reaching Anya in the master bedroom.

Being completely human and fighting demons wasn't just dangerous… it was downright suicide.

The few demons that had managed to get passed him were snarling and clawing there way through the door.

Spike tried everything he knew to keep them out as Buffy was punching them through the holes that they had created.

Both desperately trying to keep them back, trying to keep Anya away from the razor sharp claws that could kill her.

Neither Spike nor Buffy noticing the floating transparent figure standing beside Anya. Anya smiled at the female figure that smiled down at her.

The figure sat down beside Anya and talked to the little one.

"Close your eyes Anya. I promise to help Daddy, but you close your eyes and snuggle with Mr. Gordo."

Anya obeyed the soothing voice and closed her eyes and snuggled into her new stuffed friend.

A white light soon began to emanate from the figure until it burst through the entire house.

Those who were fighting all shielding their eyes from the light while all the demons and vampires vanished.

None of them would realize what had begun that night, none of them expecting the journey that was started.

And a child…would lead them.

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><p>Author's Note: Thought I would give you a bit more of what's to come for the next chapter! If you want more...you have to pay the toll! REVIEW PEOPLE!<p> 


	9. Aftermath

Author's note: An actually update? Can you believe it? I know I haven't been writing in a while and I'm kind of rusty...but I'm trying to get back into the swing of things! Hopefully you enjoy the new chapter and hopefully it's actually a two thumbs up rating! Hopefully! Enjoy!

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><p>There's this moment of complete shock as everyone looks around and realizes that the attack from just seconds before is gone.<p>

What is left is the debris of such a battle around them.

For a few brief seconds all any of them do is observe around them. Confused still by the adrenaline pumping through their veins.

The one to break the daze is the only one that couldn't understand what had just happened.

Hank Summers.

"What the hell just happened?!"

* * *

><p>Buffy slowly moved her arm from over her eyes.<p>

Her heart was still thudding erratically in her chest, still not understanding what had just happened.

Spike who had whipped his head down, to keep the bright light out of his eyes, slowly straightened up and opened his eyes. The instant he did his mind quickly made him whirl around and search with wide eyes for his little girl.

Within seconds he was lifting his baby girl into his arms as she slept.

Buffy didn't think before she went over to Spike and checked over her little girl. Her hands brushing away Anya's hair to check if something had caused any scrapes.

The relief as her hands searched her baby's body to find nothing had harmed her caused Buffy to grab Mr. Gordo from her little girls arms and squeeze the toy tight in one hand as her daughter's hold on the toy loosened so Buffy was left holding the toy. Anya's little arm hanging over her father's arm.

Even when Dawn had been kidnapped by Glory had she never felt a fear like she had when she saw the vampires downstairs staring directly at Anya.

"What the hell was that?" Spike's question as he stared at the disaster that he could see in the hallway from the gaping holes in the door.

Buffy's heart plummeted.

There hadn't been time to tell him...to warn him.

But standing this close to both of them, seeing her world condensed down to these two beings in front of her, she couldn't speak those words of what had happened earlier. Something in her knowing that Spike would be angry at her for not saying something immediately.  
>She should have.<p>

Her eyes moving from Spike's face to her baby girl's.

Whatever had caused all of the demon's to disappear...she owed it or whomever...a debt of gratitude that she knew she would never be able to repay.

She could have lost her little miracle tonight.  
>Without thought Buffy leaned over and kissed her little girl's face, and again smoothed back hair from her child's face.<p>

Spike would have stiffened at the scene if he wasn't still on edge. He could push anything aside, any feeling of fear, when it came to protecting his daughter.

His mind scrambled for an explanation as to what would caused demon's to show up...

"Did they follow you here?"

Buffy flinched at the accusation in Spike's voice. Swallowing hard she tried not to let his words hurt her so much, and almost whispering her answer, for fear that she would anger him even more than she knew it would become.

"It's why I came...Dawn...she...she was attacked tonight." Buffy stuttered out.

Spike said nothing as his eyes shifted to Buffy's face as the information began to process.

"They..." Buffy continued, "they were trying to take Anya."

And as she said the words both of them shuddered from the idea.

His eyes flickered between Buffy's lowered gaze to the top of Anya's head.

Since Anya had been born Spike had kept away from cemeteries and the whole demon community. There had been no reason to expose Anya to the dangers that had normally occupied both his and Cordelia's lives.

There was no reason, no way for any vamp or demon to know about Anya.

"What would they want with her? She's just a little girl. They shouldn't know who she is..." Spike's reasoning out loud was stopped by Buffy.

"One got away."

This time both locked eyes.

"That still doesn't make sense." Spike's heart was thumping like mad by just looking at her.

Buffy swallowed the lump in her throat as her eyes began to water.

"I...I couldn't..." Buffy struggled to find the words to explain how a vampire had figured out who there little girl was.  
>"I couldn't stop kissing her."<p>

Spike eyes drilled into Buffy...still not understanding.

Buffy knew that she wasn't explaining what had happened well, but God help her she could barely think the words without feeling guilty. But she had to. She had to say them to make him understand.

"She's my little girl."

The choked almost sobbed words made Spike close his eyes and nodded in understanding.

Buffy's hands returned to her daughter's hair, smoothing it back, still making sure that she wasn't hurt in any way.

The commotion in the hallway caused them both to tense and prepare for battle, but soon realizing who was at the door Spike relaxed.

To Buffy the next few minutes were a blur.

She watched Cordelia and Robin pushed in the door with the help of Illyria.

Watching Cordelia rush to Spike and quickly kiss him and ease Anya out of his hold. Cordelia's hands ran over Anya as Buffy's own had. Anya just conformed into Cordelia's hold, as if she had done so a million times.

Buffy's heart clenched as she watched, not recognizing the words anyone said as her focus was on how Anya's little hands subconsciously sank into Cordelia's hair, and the other laid across the back of Cordelia's shoulder.

Watching Spike surround Cordelia and kiss Anya's little face making her want more than anything to be in Cordelia's place.

Where she should have been.

The realization that she should be in Cordelia's place, it caused an anger at the once queen bee of high school to flare up in Buffy.

When Cordelia glanced over at Buffy and then turned and grabbed a quick kiss from Spike, Buffy squeezed her old stuffed toy in her hands and quickly made a dash out the door.

Illyria watched withed with a cocked head as Buffy moved swiftly passed her and down the stairs.

Illyria said nothing as she turned and stared at Anya in Cordelia's hold. The goddess knew that the child needed to be protected at all costs, but she knew the humans around her wouldn't understand what had just happened.

Saying nothing she stared at the small innocent sleeping as the others around them erupted with words of worry.

She knew what would happen soon. Illyria slowly allowed her other persona to take over...there was nothing more she could do but wait.

"Fred...are you ok?" Spike asked as he saw the shift occur.

Fred just looked at little Anya...knowing Illyria's thoughts and knowing nothing could be done. She couldn't do anything to save Anya from her fate.

She could only stand back and let things happen.

"Yeah...jus' trying to figure out why demons and vampires were working together?"

It was a question that had everyone in the room looking at each other.

Spike noticed that Buffy was gone at that moment. He never thought in a million years that he would ever not be attuned with her presence.

All things changed though.

All things change.

* * *

><p>The word running through Buffy's head was so possessive. The thought that Cordelia was touching what Buffy thought belonged to her making that something deep and dark in her want to spring out.<p>

Every time Cordelia touched him the little voice in her head would scream out the word. Scream out the possessiveness that she felt towards her child and Spike.

The way Cordelia had kissed him right in front of her...

Buffy's fists clenched closed.

Suddenly her father was in front of her hugging her almost to death.

It took a second for Buffy to realize that her father had just been involved with a demon and vampire battle.

"Are you ok sweetheart?" Hank asked as his hold on his daughter became even tighter.

It was too much for Buffy.

How many years had she wanted her father back in her life holding her.

How many months had it been since Giles, the only father she had for so long, had taken her in his arms and hugged her.

Hank was suddenly trying to breath as back squeezed him back with a strength that almost crushed his rib cage.

But nothing was gonna stop him from holding his little girl as she famous sob rang out against his shoulder.

Dawn stepped closer to the pair as her own eyes misted with tears.

Dawn understanding that they should have done this ages ago.

The emotions that flowed from Buffy, that fact that she was feeling!

Her sister was back.

And nothing had ever been so bitter sweet.

Watching there father hold Buffy the old emotions of sibling jealousy sprang up...but Dawn had grown up.

Letting out a sigh she was a bit startled when she caught her father's eye staring at her.

The silent 'I love you' he sent her making her own tears spring up.

Slowly he tried to ease away from Buffy, smoothing back her hair and wiping away a few tears.

"It's ok honey. You let it out, ok? You never have to be strong for me."

It was a blessing.

Without knowing it Hank Summers...aka...the shitty father that Buffy thought she had, had given her a gift that she had wanted for so many years.

She didn't have to be tough, she didn't have to be a fighter. In her father embrace she just had to be Buffy Summers.

She had never been so grateful in her life.

"Is Anya ok?" Hank whispered the question out.

Buffy slowly nodded.

"Buffy...I maybe getting old...but I really don't know what just happened."

A small smile graced Buffy's face.

What a way to break it to her father about her being the Slayer.

Stepping back from his arms Buffy let out a huge sigh.

It took her less time to tell her father about being the slayer than it had to explain it to her own mother. Maybe it was the fact that her father had just been in the middle of a huge battle that she had successfully shielded her mother from...but the way her father looked at her...she knew that everything was clicking into place from all those years ago.

When he paled to the point that he made the undead look tanned, Buffy knew that she had to make him sit down.

"So...when you burned down the school..." Hank asked his daughter.

Buffy smirked.

"Vampires."

Hank looked down and shook his head.

"Buffy I'm soo sorry..."

She knew what he was sorry for, knew that her father had thought her insane and had placed her in a psychiatric ward.

"It's ok. It's in the past." Buffy said the words and wished to God that it were true in her situation.

That the things that had happened in the past would stay there and not affect the future.

But life wasn't like that.

Some things stay with you until the day you die.

Some things are just to horrible to not ruin someone's future.

Spike came down the stairs is what pulled Buffy's attention away from her father.

"You ok there 'ank?"

Hank remained sitting but nodded his head.

It was at that moment that Buffy remembered that seeing her father here of all places was suspicious.

Standing straight up from the crouched position that she had been in, she placed her hands on her hips and spoke her question in as calm a manner as she could.

"Dad...what are you doing in Spike's house?"

The first thought that went through Hank's head was 'Who the hell is Spike?', but as his mind processed the words he came to the sudden conclusion that William was Spike.

But before Hank could even ask a question, Spike was answering on Hank's behalf.

"Actually...this is 'ank's house."

The statement made Buffy jerk her head up to look at Spike.

"What are you talking about? Why would you..." Buffy's heart had started to pound as anger at her father began to rise.

Hank stood as soon as her heard the raise in Buffy's voice. Knowing his little girl the way he did, he knew he had to stop her now before she accused William of anything.

"William came looking for me...when he first got Anya."

Those words made Buffy shut her mouth immediately. Her anger vanishing faster than the eye blinked.

Staring into his daughter's eyes he told her what happened all those months ago.

"I was at the office...and William walked in with Anya on his hip. He doesn't really mince words by the way." Hank smirked at his daughter, a hidden joke between them at the words.

Buffy smirked at little. Her father had always told her that she wasn't one to mince words. It had always irked her. One because she always told her father that she was sensitive to other people, she would never blurt things out. Second how can once mince words? How could you cut words? That just didn't make any sense.

Her reminiscing was pushed aside when her father continued.

"Told me that Anya was my Granddaughter. Told me that he had gotten you pregnant but that you didn't want to be a part of her life. He also told me that if I 'wanted to be a real man' and 'be in Anya's life' he was more than happy to let me. To say I was shocked was putting it mildly. But one look at her and I knew he wasn't lying. She looks so much like you sweet heart." Hank said the last thing as he tapped the end of Buffy's nose.

Buffy's wavering smile made Hank realize he had to hurry before Buffy shut down.

"I didn't find out until a few days later when I went to the address he gave me that they were living in the slums. I couldn't let Anya live there...not after what William told me what Dawn and you had gone through. So...I bought this house...and they're staying in it until William can find a full time job." Hank finished his explanation with a nod to William.

"I swear 'ank, I'll pay you every every cent back." Spike couldn't help but reassure.

Hank held up his hand in a stop motion.

"Don't worry about that right now. Not now that I know that there's such a thing as demons and vampires."

It was this that caused both Spike and Buffy to share a look.

"Um...about that..." Buffy began.

"I was a vampire 'ank." Spike said as he stared at Buffy's father.

The silence that followed the statement made Spike wait for the pieces to finally click into place.

"How is that possible?" Hank finally managed to get out.

"It's a really long story." Spike said with a small smirk.

Hank nodded his head in understanding of just how complicated things really were.

Cordelia walking up to the small group made Buffy stiffen.

"Hey..." She said as she touched Spike's shoulder, "she's asking for you."

Buffy watched with a gleam of hatred in her eyes as Cordelia kissed Spike as he turned to go to Anya.

Hank could feel the hatred in the air and wisely said nothing as the two stared daggers at each other.

"I think it would be best if you come back tomorrow. Let us know exactly what happened tonight. I think we're all exhausted." Cordelia said as soothingly as possible.

Buffy heard it for what it was though.

A dismissal.

And something in her finally made her realize that she couldn't walk back out of her daughter's life.

Not now.

Especially now that she knew Cordelia was there to help Spike.

The thoughts of how Cordelia _could _be helping Spike make her jaw tighten.

"I'll be here bright and early. I won't let anything like that happen to them again." Buffy said without removing her eyes from Cordelia.

Cordelia hadn't missed the use of the word 'them'. Both of them now understood each other.

Knowing that it was just the beginning of the war.

Both willing to fight for what was theirs.

As Buffy left and Cordelia watched her walk out the door, Cordelia noticed the small stuffed pig on the floor.

A small frown graced her features as she didn't know how the toy had come to be there.

Retrieving the toy from the ground, she was shocked to see Angel's eyes staring at her from the back yard.

The look of longing on his face all but making her want to caress his face...but she couldn't. She wouldn't.

Angel had made his choice so long ago.

She turned and headed towards Anya's room, not once turning back.

* * *

><p>Author's note: REVIEW PEOPLE! COME ON! The fun hasn't even started with time travel yet...you know you want to read more! REVIEW! REVIEW!<p> 


	10. Power and Love

Author's note: Another update! I'm actually impressed with myself! Hopefully everyone enjoys this one! Hopefully none of you expected my little twist. If you've read Joss Whedon's Fray...you'll get what I'm referring to at the end...or...what I'm gear up to!

* * *

><p>Cordelia had been about to go into Anya's room when she heard William speaking.<p>

"...I know she could never hurt you. Whatever happened tonight I know she never wants anything bad to happen to you. Hey...Peaches got throttled by her because he made you cry...for her to hit her precious Angel...I know she love you."

Cordelia slowly entered the room, trying to keep the light of the hall from entering and disturbing Anya.

"Hey...is she still sleeping?" Cordelia asked a little anxious.

Getting Anya to sleep was a hard task, but she knew that Anya was usually a light sleeper.

"Out like a light." Spike answered.

"Speaking of light," Cordelia began, "what was that earlier?" Cordelia slowly walked over and placed the stuffed toy in the crib near Anya's head.

Spike shook his head.

"No clue."

Cordelia walked over to William and ran her hands over his back.

"I don't know what 'append tonight...but I swear I've never been more scared in my whole unlife...well...um...you know what I mean."

Cordelia suppressed her laugh.

"Yeah...same here." Cordelia said as her hands began to brush the back of Spike's hair.

Spike finally turned from staring at little Anya in her crib to look at Cordelia.

"Are you alright pet? Know we were a bit out of it before, didn't really ask you earlier." Spike said as he stared into Cordelia's eyes.

Cordelia messed with his blondish brown hair as she stared back into his eyes.

"Kinda..." Cordelia grimaced as she saw the image of Angel staring at her from the backyard.

"Hey..." Spike said in a worried tone as he grasped Cordelia's hips and brought her closer so he can hug her, "tell me. Whatever it is we can fix it." Kissing her belly as he looked up into her eyes, Cordelia knew she was indeed in love with this man.

And the thoughts and feelings from earlier surfaced.

"I just can't believe they're back in our lives."

Letting out a huge sigh Cordelia climbed into his lap and caressed his face. If was an effort to try and still be close to William after the feelings Angel evoked in her.

Spike also sighed at the contact.

The last few months had been a blessing with this woman. He had found something with her that he never thought he could ever have.

All because of three words that he had always longed to hear.

And Cordelia had given him those words. Freely. Without condition and without hesitation.

But he knew that it wasn't as strong as what she felt for _him_.

He knew that was what was making her distraught.

Looking up into her eyes he said words that everyone would have put money on...that he would never say. Surprisingly though, he said them to this woman when she became like this, when he knew in his heart it was what she really wanted.

"I wish I could be him for you."

Her eyes brightened for one second and then dulled the next.

Swooping down she kissed him with an emotion he couldn't fathom was for him.

Catching both of there breaths with there heads touching Cordelia whispered the words that made him all too aware just how far they had to go to move on.

"And I wish I could be her for you."

He wouldn't allow himself to cry, even though he could hear the tears in her voice.

Cordelia couldn't help but look into his eyes and realize just how messed up they both were. How so different yet how similar they both were.

She knew this man better than anyone in the world. Knew what he was, knew what he had been, and she even knew the man he was becoming.

"I love you William."

Spike closed his eyes and shivered all over at those words.

"And I love you." He whispered the words. So use to having his heart smashed into small peices that the words were hard to even say.

Cordelia watched his beautiful blue eyes open and couldn't help but kiss him once more.

The image of him all those years ago still haunting her.

It scared her to know that the person holding her could have died. That after having been given the gift of humanity he had been on the threshold of death.

"I'm not one for disturbing people about to get freaky..." Faith's voice made Cordelia and Spike pull apart.

"She's lying. She'll disturb anyone whenever she feels like it." Robin said as he leaned against the door frame next to Faith with a smirk on his face.

Faith smiled at Robin for his jibe, but turned back to stare at a pissed offed Cordelia.

"Get out!" Cordelia said with an annoyed look on her face, causing Spike to let a shit eating grin spread across his face.

"Calm down there Cordy...they're just doing what I was going to." Gunn said as he entered from the hallway just to stop at the sight before him.

"Damn I thought you had better taste than him." Gunn said with a shake of his head and a grimace on his face.

Both Cordelia and Spike rolled there eyes at Gunn.

"What do you want Charles?" Cordelia asked as she remained exactly where she was.

"Just thought you should know that whatever that light was that destroyed everything...well...it took all of them out."

Cordelia and Spike just stared at him, obviously having come to this conclusion themselves.

"I don't mean just here. I just got a call from a friend saying that the vampires that they were trying to take down, a few blocks away from us, went poof right in front of them." Gunn explained.

Cordelia scrunched her brows.

"Did they see a bright light like us?" Robin asked from behind Gunn.

Gunn turned and then addressed Cordelia and Spike.

"No. Just said one second they were there...the next they weren't."

"Is this the reason you wanted us to be here?" Connor asked from the doorway.

"No...um...it was nothin' like that...but...sort of..." Spike tried to explain. He had forgotten that just about everyone he knew had been there.

"Is Buffy still here?" Spike asked softly as he looked away from everyone.

"No...she left. Willow and Xander kind of followed her out not long after." Robin informed him. Robin had watched the whole scene from the edge of the stairs. Unlike the others he knew why he was there. And unlike the others he knew immediately why Spike had picked him.

Forgiveness hadn't been given, probably never would, but Spike had done something that showed he was indeed just a man now. A man that couldn't make up for the sins that he committed, but he could give something that meant the world to him.

"Is there any other documents that me and Faith have to sign?" Robin asked.

Spike shook his head. "No."

Gunn tilted his head with a furrowed brow. "What's goin' on?"

Cordelia got off of Spike's lap as Spike stood. Both glancing at Anya as she continued to sleep and suck on the pacifier that Spike had placed in her mouth, and then motioned for everyone to leave the room.

Slowly everyone exited, leaving Anya alone in her nursery.

Of course that was when the little one would stir.

* * *

><p>Slowly Anya woke to the dark and empty room.<p>

She wasn't afraid.

Pushing herself up she stood up in her crib and looked around her.

Realizing where she was she turned and spotted her new toy at the top of her bed.

Reaching for her toy she held the little pig in her hold and stared at the toy.

That's when the woman appeared again.

The serene smile on the woman's face making Anya herself smile with the pacifier still in her little mouth.

She knew who the lady was.

"You were such a good girl Anya."

Anya snuggled her toy closer as she continued to smile.

"I see Aunt Dawnie brought you Mr. Gordo."

"Mama." Anya said as she clutched the toy that much closer.

The woman's smile dropped to one of astonishment.

"That's right. You're such a smart little girl Anya. That was Mama's."

Anya suddenly moved to the end of the crib. Placing her toy down right beside her, she reached over and grabbed a small silver frame. With such intelligence the little girl looked down at her toy and then at the frame. Holding the frame in one hand she grabbed her toy with the other and made her way back to the woman.

Anya sat down in front of the nice woman and placed her toy next to her and turned the frame in her hand and placed it on her lap.

The woman smiled and looked down at the picture in Anya's lap.

"Mama." The little girl said again as she pointed to the picture of Buffy surrounded by her two best friends.

The woman smiled.

"That's right."

The little girl nodded.

Anya then proceeded to name the other people in the photo.

"Ant Wiow...Unc Zan."

"That's right."

It was then that a new voice sounded.

"Oh isn't this sweet."

Anya watched as the nice glowing woman's smile went away. The woman turned and faced where the voice had come from.

"Did you really think that light show would keep me away? Come on. A bit theatrical, but it lacked in style."

The glowing woman moved to block Anya's view of who was talking.

"We won't let you hurt her." The once serene woman said.

The being smiled.

"Now why would I want to do that?"

* * *

><p>"We want you to all be guardians of Anya if anything should happen to us." Spike said the words and stared into Robin's eyes as he did so.<p>

"Wait...what?" Gunn asked in confusion.

"William and I decided that if something were to happen to both of us that we wanted people that she knew to take care of her. You know? That's what people that care about each other do?" Cordelia explained to the group of people.

Connor shifted with a questioning stare at Spike.

"You want me to take care of Anya?" Connor asked with a raised brow.

"No...but yah. But Robin and Faith are goin' to be first in line. If an' when they decide or can't take care of 'er, you all are next in line." Spike said as he turned his stare from Connor to the rest in the group.

Oddly what disturbed them was Oz coming into the house holding little Kelden's hand.

"Hi uncle Spike." Kelden said with a little wave.

Everyone smiled at the little boy he really didn't look much like his dad, but his silent nature and calmness showed everyone that he was indeed just like his father.

"Sorry. I ran home to see if he was ok. He wanted to come back with me." Oz explained in his usual laid back way.

"S'ok." Spike shrugged. "Anya's sleepin' Kelden...but you can play with her toys if you'd like."

"Ok." Kelden said.

"There's glass everywhere buddy," Oz said as his son looked up at him, " so be careful."

"Ok dad." With that Kelden carefully walked into the family room away from the huge mess and began to play with the toys there.

"Spike here was just telling us about him leaving Anya to us if something were to happen to him." Gunn told Oz.

Oz shrugged his shoulders. "I know."

"I told Oz before everyone. I needed to know that at least one of you would be willing to take Anya and protect her." Spike elaborated on Oz's answer.

"Point is that we all wanted you to know in case anything happened. And lets face it. When it comes to our particular group...trouble tend to find us. Even if were on a different planet." Cordelia said this with a smirk towards Spike.

Spike of course smiled. "I was on the moon, not a different planet."

Illyria wasn't paying attention to what was being said, since the fight she had felt a presence in the house.

Something older than her.

Power.

Evil.

Focusing her senses was difficult since the entire house seemed to be encompassed with the presence.

Still she said nothing.

Of course no one noticed. All of them were discussing trivial things and not the least bit in tune with there surroundings.

It was only a matter of time before something else happened.

* * *

><p>"Buffy...are you ok? I mean...I know your not ok. But, we're still here for you. I know it's kinda hard to take everything in, I mean all with the...'There's my little girl,' 'Need to save her from evil.' Then the whole...Spike...and Cordelia thing...and the whole major fight thingy." Willow couldn't help but babble as she tried to squash down a whole bunch of guilt.<p>

Guilt that not Xander or Buffy knew about. The hardest thing was trying to keep her secret which had really changed her whole life.

Spike becoming human had changed her life.

There's was no way that she could make up for her big secret. She just had to wait for the right moment.

The moment was not now though.

This moment was for Buffy realizing that not only was Cordelia help raising her child, but that Cordelia was IN Spike's life.

She herself had tried to wrap her brain around it.

But in a way she understood.

Understood in a way more than the others could.

Not saying anything was going to kill her.

"Will...it's...I just can't talk about it right now." Buffy said as they were walking Buffy back to the car.

"Buffy...we know what you saw had to shock you. I mean...we've known..." Xander had begun to say, but Buffy whipped around quickly at the words.

"How long?" Buffy asked with a angry note in her voice and eyes that could freeze a vampire.

"Um...well...we've known..." Xander was struggling to answer. He didn't want to tell Buffy the full truth. That they had known about Cordelia being with Spike since the beginning of this particular bump in there lives.

More like the bump of Buffy's belly that had turned there world upside down.

"How long Xander?!" Buffy was becoming angrier at the idea that it could have been like this for a long period of time. That Spike could have been with...

"Since before Anya was born." Dawn answered for Xander. Knowing exactly how the news would be handled.

Buffy's eye's nearly popped out of her head.

They never expected her explosion.

"WHY THE HELL DIDN'T ANY OF YOU TELL ME!" Buffy's scream caused them all to jump.

"We didn't exactly think you wanted to know what the vampire that raped you was living with another woman!" Dawn's automatic sibling injustice kicking in.

Buffy's heart dropped as the word 'raped' came out of Dawn's mouth.

Dear god that's what they had thought.

All this time and they had thought that Spike had...

Buffy wanted to cry.

Wanted to tell them the truth in that moment, but the shame and disgust at herself prevented her from doing so.

Angel suddenly was behind Xander.

"What's going on? I heard you yelling from a block away." Angel said with a curious expression.

Buffy hadn't realized that she was crying until Willow spoke.

"Oh...Buffy. We...we didn't mean to make you upset. It's the opposite of what we wanted." Willow said as she walked up to her friend and hugged her.

All Buffy could do was burrow into Willow's shoulder and close her eyes.

Dawn couldn't help but feel sorry for her sister.

Her daughter was being raised by Cordelia, and the vampire -now man- had raped her was making himself a little family.

You couldn't get much worse.

Willow knew that Spike hadn't raped her.

She couldn't tell the others though. They would never believe her or even worse...ask how she knew that Spike hadn't.

So Willow did the best friend thing.

Kept her mouth closed and comforted her friend.

What shocked her was what Buffy whispered, or what she thought Buffy whispered.

"He's in love with her."

* * *

><p>Anya recognized the voice that was talking to the glowing lady.<p>

"Leave. Before you force us to do it ourselves."

The evil being smiled.

"I'd love to see you try. After all...me and the big guy have a deal."

The serene faced woman didn't budge.

"She's not part of the deal."

The evil being slowly began to walk towards the two.

"The seal was opened. And with it the promise that was made is called due. There's nothing..."

"She's just a baby." The glowing woman said.

"No she isn't. But then again without me she wouldn't be here. She belongs to me."

The glowing woman took a step forward.

"She belongs to William and Buffy."

The being smiled widely.

"What did they use to call you...Tara? Right?"

Tara didn't move...didn't budge from where she was.

"You have no idea what I am. No idea what I'm capable of. I can not be killed. Your friends were fools to think they could do anything but run."

Tara stared at the face of The First. A face she knew well...a face that had been her heart.

It was Willow's face.

The First's smile became wider.

"And now I'm going to show them what real power is."

* * *

><p>Author's Note: I better get reviews after this chapter! Come one guys! SHOW ME LOVE! REVIEW! P.S. Time travel will happen in the next chapter! Get Ready!<p> 


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